Sheepdog mural painted on Yorkshire antiques shop could be removed after council decide it is 'harmful' and 'overpowering'

The painting on the side of the York House Antiques building in Richmond's historic Conservation Area was created by Jackie Stubbs in 2019, but she and the shop's owners did not apply for planning permission and have now done so retrospectively.

Yet the council has recommended the scheme's refusal and described it as 'harmful' and 'overpowering', claiming its cartoon rural aesthetic - depicting a sheepdog, sheep and country scene - is not in keeping with the 'polite Georgian character' of the Market Place.

York House is a Grade II-listed 18th-century former merchant's residence that is considered an 'imposing landmark structure' within the Georgian Conservation Area.

Antiques dealer Christine Swift invited Jackie, who was the landlady of community pub The George and Dragon in Hudswell alongside daughter Margaret until she retired due to ill health in 2014, to paint the design. Jackie is an untrained artist who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

There was strong support for the mural being allowed to remain from the Original Richmond Business and Tourism Association, who received a positive response from 58 out of 63 members consulted, and from the general public, who submitted 77 comments with only two being against the proposal. Richmond Town Council also raised no objections.

Supporters praised the mural for encouraging visitors to the town centre and brightening up the streetscape.

However, Richmond Civic Society opposed its retention, commenting that its members 'felt strongly that it should not have been executed without permission'. They added that i, set 'an alarming precedent for other property owners to produce quasi-public art which could deface the town' and requested that it be 'colourwashed appropriately'.

Richmondshire Council's conservation officer also objected, stating that the mural was 'harmful' and did not preserve the significance of the York House building.

The council also found that the design had no relevance to the commercial function of York House, so could not be classed as an advertisement. They added that they considered it to be 'overpowering' and that there was no demonstrable evidence that it was essential to the economic viability of the town while being 'alien to the area'.

A Change.org petition has been set up in support of Christine and Jackie and has attracted 2,800 signatures.

Ms Stubbs said: "I'm devastated, I was honoured and delighted when Christine asked me to do a mural. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the piece, although it was hell of a challenge with my condition to get up to that height, but the amazing comments, people stopping me in the street to thank me for cheering up their day when ever they see it, has made me super proud.

"I'm perplexed regarding the person that has complained. When I painted the redundant bus stop - covering graffiti as part of the massive town tidy-up for Richmond in Bloom - the council didn't complain about that and the judges were impressed with it.

"So I beg of you all please go to Richmondshire Council's planning portal and keep Wacky Jackie art on the wall."