As plans ramp up to breathe new life into Bench Street, at a long-term derelict town centre site, Dover District Council (DDC) is set to demolish three properties it owns at 11, 14 and 15 Bench Street in Dover to protect public safety.
The increasingly dilapidated and dangerous buildings are adjacent to the A20, one of the main routes into the town and port. The site’s appearance is blighting the local area and giving a poor impression of the town.
This news comes as DDC also announces the exciting appointment of international art specialists Factum Arte – based in Madrid - to scan and preserve the lost, painted over Banksy, so the Council can recreate it digitally or even physically in the future.
Factum Arte, whose work includes the Tomb of Raphael in Rome’s Pantheon, will digitally record the Brexit mural using advanced photometric technology so that an accurate record of the Banksy can be catalogued as part of the town’s history and, potentially, reproduced (subject to artist approval) in a new safe Dover location – potentially the new Creative Centre. Factum Arte use technology to bridge the gap, where the line between the digital and the physical no longer exists.
The Council is fully committed to growing Dover’s economy through culture, heritage and visitors, as well as to working with stakeholders, businesses and the public to deliver this growth. This includes exciting plans for the positive redevelopment of the east side of Bench Street, including a new Creative Centre and a revamp of the underpass with the Future High Streets Fund, and an education campus (creative and digital skills), business centre and park as part of the Levelling Up Fund. DDC has secured £21.3m in Central Government funding for these projects, with the council committing a further c.£4m in regeneration funding. This builds on existing Dover town centre projects, including the ongoing reawakening of Dover’s Grade 1 Listed Maison Dieu, Kent’s first zero-emission bus service Dover Fastrack, and the delivered new Market Square.
The council also continues to explore ideas for expanded public art provision, arts events and cultural activity across the town, in line with Dover’s current and emerging Cultural Framework, as well as Dover’s recognition by the Arts Council as a priority place.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: "Having world-renowned street artist Banksy visit Dover to create such an iconic artwork highlighted the importance of our town as the country's gateway to Europe. And it was a great shame that under the building's previous ownership it was painted over and destroyed.
"I am delighted that Dover District Council has appointed international art preservation experts Factum Arte to carry out a high-tech scan of the wall, that will allow us to virtually peel back the layers of paint and recreate a digital version of Banksy's mural for Dover residents to enjoy into the future.
"Saving the artwork in situ would have cost local taxpayers up to £4 million, and there's no guarantee that this unsafe building wouldn't have simply collapsed anyway. Our plan will create a permanent digital record of the artwork while delivering on our pledge to regenerate the Bench Street area of Dover using £18.1 million we secured from the government's Levelling Up Fund."
Notes to Editors - related to the Dover Banksy:
DDC carefully considered the future of the whitewashed Banksy Brexit mural, which appeared on 11 Bench Street in May 2017, and was subsequently painted over by unknown persons in August 2019. At this time, the building was in private ownership, and DDC was not involved with the installation nor the painting over of the mural.
- Due to the poor state of repair of the building, the render on which the artwork was painted has been gradually delaminating from the masonry wall and is fragmenting
- The Council looked at a range of options for preserving the Banksy. This includes retaining the wall with the mural in its current location as part of the redevelopment, and taking it down to be stored and relocated at some time in the future to a location yet to be determined
- Given the dangerous condition of the building and the high degree of specialist conservation work that would be required to retain the mural, the Council estimates costs in the region of £2-4 million
- The press reported a valuation of £1 million from an expert Banksy collector in July 2019, with the same article also stating: "What is reported to be the asking price of £1million is reasonable but I think it could cost you three or four times that to transport it, look after it, preserve it and insure it so it’s actually in a way a negative value." This press report was before the Dover Banksy was painted over
- The press reported in September 2019 that the artist (‘Banksy’) had stated their intention to overpaint and replace the Dover mural
- For more information, please see the FAQs on Dover District Council’s Regeneration pages.
Notes to Editors - related to Bench Street and demolition:
- Public safety is the Council’s number 1 priority
- Bench Street represents a long-term brownfield town centre site
- The increasingly dilapidated and dangerous buildings are adjacent to the A20, one of the main routes into the town and port. The site’s appearance is also blighting the local area and giving a poor impression of the town
- DDC did not own the building(s) in question until September 2022, when they were purchased to facilitate the regeneration of the priority Bench Street area of Dover
- Due to the building's poor state of repair, demolition is the only viable option. DDC has secured prior approval to demolish 11, 14 and 15 Bench Street in Dover on the grounds of public safety
- DDC is currently tendering the contract for the demolition. The timescale for demolition and any restrictions that need to be put in place for safe working will be announced in due course
- For more information, please see the FAQs on Dover District Council’s Regeneration pages.
Posted on 14 March 2023