Plastic screens and wooden fencing have been put up over Banksy’s latest mural on the side of an apartment block in Islington.
Islington Council decided to introduce safety measures for the new tree mural, which was painted on the side of a building in Christie Court in Finsbury Park, after vandals threw white paint on it earlier this month.
But residents of the adjacent block of flats have criticized the decision, saying the authority cares more about the artwork than human life.
They had reportedly asked for additional security on previous occasions for security reasons, which they were reportedly repeatedly denied due to lack of funds.
Islington Council said “new safety measures” had been put in place to prevent large crowds gathering around the artwork after locals raised concerns about the “disruption” it was causing to their lives.
Plastic screens and wooden fencing have been put up over Banksy’s latest mural on the side of a block of flats in Islington.
New safety measures have been put in place to prevent large crowds gathering around the artwork, Islington Council said.
Construction workers placed boats next to Banksy’s artwork on the side of a residential building in Hornsey Road, Finsbury Park.
A disgruntled Londoner has expressed his frustration after receiving a letter from the council’s Department of Housing and Neighbourhoods, claiming his concerns had fallen on deaf ears until now.
The anonymous resident shared an image of the letter, dated March 22, from the desk of Ian Swift, the council’s Director of Housing Operations and Deputy Corporate Director.
The letter reads: ‘Dear Resident, Due to the new Banksy art installation adjacent to Christie Court, we are aware that you are experiencing increased visitor numbers to your property.
‘While the council welcomes public art, we also recognize that local people are experiencing some impacts from the number of people gathering nearby.
‘To reduce the effects of visitors, the council has installed additional fencing to keep people further away from their homes, installed signage to ask visitors to be respectful and we have installed a CCTV camera to monitor activity around the tree and works of art.
‘We are in contact with the building owner, who is the legal owner of the artwork and will keep you informed of any security measures the owner puts in place.
‘We believe visitor numbers will decrease in the coming weeks as we all adjust to living with this new art installation.
Workers have begun placing wooden boards in front of the mural. apparently to prevent large crowds from gathering nearby
The council said a CCTV camera was also installed in the area to monitor activity around the tree and artwork.
The public views a mural by artist Banksy after it was defaced with white paint on March 20.
Large crowds have been gathering outside the apartment block to view the artwork, which the council said prompted residents to express concern.
‘Islington is already home to four Banksy artworks in different locations and these are not attracting the amount of visitors we are currently seeing.
“We thank you for your support of Islington’s creativity and for your understanding and patience as we work to manage the issues surrounding the many people wishing to view the art installation.”
The tenant claims no such “safety measures” were ever put in place to protect residents when they were asked to combat anti-social behaviour.
Concerns center around an alleged rowdy tenant, whose alleged drug use has brought drug dealing, prostitution and violence to the neighborhood’s doorstep.
The resident wrote in a Reddit post alongside the photo of the letter: “Many of the residents have been living here peacefully for a significant period of time.” We used to have community gatherings and parties in the back garden.
“But in recent years the city council has incorporated a person who habitually uses drugs and who brings drug dealers and users to the farm.
‘There is an unpleasant odor coming from the property that persists. They have reported this to the council and nothing has been done to try and resolve our issue.
‘The resident in question was evicted and then returned to the property. We only found out when the council removed all the furniture and they were found sleeping rough on the grass area.
‘During that time, they were prostituting themselves on the quiet street in Pine Grove.
‘There have been numerous fights and scuffles in the street which recently led to someone smearing excrement on the building’s intercom.
‘Residents have kindly asked for gates and/or CCTV to prevent this from happening but we have received no money in the budget.
Banky’s new mural appeared on March 18 and the elusive artist claimed it as his own that same day.
It was created with green paint behind a bare tree to resemble foliage, with a stencil of a person holding a pressure hose next to it.
Unfortunately, the mural was defaced with white paint a few days later.
A wire fence was then placed in front of it to prevent curious onlookers from getting too close.
‘As wonderful as it is to have this work of art, it only highlights that Islington Council does not care about its residents and Ian Swift believes that a work of art is more valuable than human life.
‘What would you do in this situation?’
The concerned tenant’s post received more than 160 likes and more than 50 comments from other Londoners echoing the frustration.
One user said: “As unfortunate as it may seem, most value a work of art (worth money) more than human lives; well, money is generally valued more than human lives.”
“There’s not much that can be done in this situation, because that’s unlikely to change, no matter who is in power.”
Another added: “Islington Council is incompetent at best.”
A third wrote: ‘Complain to the Social Housing Ombudsman. The councils are shit and that’s why they are regulated by the Ombudsman.’
Another responded: “Just wash that rubbish off, Banksy just needs to retire…”
An Islington Council spokesperson said: “We want everyone to feel safe at home and we take reports of anti-social behavior seriously.”
‘The new security measures at Christie Court have been installed in direct response to concerns raised by tenants over the last week about crowds gathering and the disruption this is causing to their lives.
‘We are committed to working with our communities to tackle antisocial behaviour. “We encourage residents to let us know and welcome conversations to help us resolve it.”