Residents living in Tuxford have criticised Bassetlaw District Council for spending £47,000 on a mural they describe as "child-like". The council had originally budgeted £25,000 for the artwork, but the final cost was nearly double that figure.
The mural, which decorates both sides of an A1 tunnel in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, went over budget because the council had to pay for temporary traffic lights when pedestrians and schoolchildren were forced to walk in the road after the artist's materials and ladders blocked the path.
Residents call overspend a waste of money
The finished mural, which depicts Tuxford's history and heritage, eventually cost £47,000 - £22,000 over budget. Tuxford residents have slammed the council for the overspend and say the money should have been spent on community projects.
Retired trucker Peter Chojnacki, 75, has lived in the village his whole life and says the mural is "confusing". The grandfather-of-four said: "It's not just a small waste of money, it's a massive waste of money. For starters it looks like something a child would do at school, secondly it's in a dark underpass so you can hardly see it.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the street artists turn up with their own spray cans and add to it in the next few days. I don't even think the mural actually represents Tuxford's history very well either. It all looks confusing.
"I think almost £50,000 would have been so much better spent on a village hall or community space everyone could use."
'It's laughable'
Another resident, who preferred not to be named, said: "I think it's a strange place to have a mural. At first glance it looks like more graffiti but you can't exactly stop and admire it because it's on a busy road and no one wants to spend too much time hanging around an underpass.
"It's laughable that they had to spend twice as much so kids wouldn't get run over on the way to school. Did no one at the council think about the fact the path would have to be closed off while it was painted?"
The council admitted the traffic lights "significantly contributed to the additional costs".
Councillor defends mural
Councillor Steve Scotthorne, cabinet member for planning, identity and place, told the BBC: "It is something nice to see on a dull underpass. Not everyone will like what they see but it's about giving Tuxford a positive outlook and getting visitors in."
He said Via East Midlands, which provides road maintenance services for Nottinghamshire County Council, raised concerns after work had already started. He added: "We were quite happy to budget for £25,000 but we had Via say they were concerned about the safety of artists and the people getting involved. We needed to spend that money and we tried to make it as low as we could.
"The cost was disappointing but we want to see our town centres thriving and people talking positively about them."
Via East Midlands said it initially granted the council a licence for the mural works. A spokesperson said: "After receiving complaints from members of the public about school children walking in the road due to the footway being blocked, an inspection of the site took place which resulted in discussions with BDC about how to make the site safe.
"Whilst we're aware the need for additional measures will have increased the cost of the project, the safety of pedestrians and road users was our priority."
The mural depicts Tuxford's time as a major coaching hub in the 1800s, its connection to the brewing industry and a 1702 fire that almost wiped out the town. Tuxford received £1million in Town Streetscaping Funding in 2024 through Labour-run Bassetlaw District Council, which decided where to spend the cash.
Around £335,000 has so far been spent on revamping shop frontages, additional CCTV coverage, play equipment on parks, defibrillators, speed reduction signs and market stalls. The mural was approved in 2024 and completed in August this year, with the artist working with a local school, charity and community group.
