Mr Doodle mural on Edinburgh Road car park

From an Ashford Borough Council spokesperson:

“As with most street art projects, murals are temporary by nature: the elements and the lifespan of the structures they are painted on mean the artwork cannot be expected to remain indefinitely. From the outset, we approached the Ashford Unframed mural festival as a time limited programme - one intended to bring vibrancy to the town, improve any unsightly spaces, and draw attention to regeneration opportunities, including buildings earmarked for redevelopment.

“Each artist was approached and contracted on the understanding that the work would likely be temporary (which may mean anything between 6 months, or 6+ years). This is widely accepted within the street art community, where outdoor pieces naturally deteriorate over time. Mr Doodle is one such artist and, given his high profile and our close working relationship, we were both committed to ensuring the mural looks its best while it remained in place. 

“At the time the artwork was commissioned, the anticipated future demolition of the car park made the site particularly attractive to the artist, as it offered the opportunity for a large-scale piece to be on display for several years before the structure was removed, without need for on-going costly maintenance or upkeep. It was always understood that due to the size of this mural, that it would not be able to be preserved beyond the demolition of the car park.

“In relation to the demolition, the Council and the demolition contractor, O’Connell, have remained in regular contact with Mr Doodle and his management team. This is to ensure that any works are undertaken in line with our contractual commitments, and to explore any additional opportunities to maximise the positive legacy of the piece. We can confirm it was always intended that this mural - like many murals around the town - would be temporary, and we continue to work with artists to ensure works are maintained where possible or removed/replaced in a way that respects artists’ rights and wishes. Mr Doodle is fully supportive of this approach.”