What Happens When the Murals Fade?

There’s a petition going around right now. Maybe you’ve seen it. Maybe you’ve already signed it. If not, I hope you will — because it matters. Not just for the murals, but for what they represent.

Here’s what we’re asking:

We’re calling on Wirral Council to recognise the New Brighton mural trail as a cultural asset — and to work with local partners to secure its care, upkeep, and future development.

Simple. Measured. No shouting. No ultimatums.

But beneath that calm request is something deeper: a call to protect the spirit of a community-led transformation that’s been eight years in the making.

The Murals Changed More Than Walls

When the first murals appeared in Victoria Road, they didn’t just brighten walls. They shifted the mood. They signalled something was happening — something bold, unexpected, and full of pride.

Murals became mirrors. They reflected the stories of the town and its people. They turned dead space into destinations. They invited locals to look up, to linger, to feel something again for a street many had stopped believing in.

And they worked.

Footfall rose. Businesses opened. Artists came. Visitors followed. Kids grew up with colour instead of decay. We proved — without grants, without fanfare — that regeneration doesn’t always need a masterplan. Sometimes it just needs a paintbrush and purpose.

But Nothing Built from the Ground Up Is Ever Truly Safe

Dan Davies, the man who helped start this whole thing, is stepping back. Not because the work is done — but because it can’t just be one person’s burden forever.

What happens now is up to the rest of us.

We can either fight to preserve what’s been created — or watch it quietly unravel, mural by mural, as funding dries up, walls peel, and the trail slips out of memory.

Let’s not pretend that kind of loss is accidental. It happens when councils don’t formally recognise what communities build. When cultural assets aren’t named, budgeted for, or included in planning policy. When care is left to goodwill alone.

That’s why this petition exists. Not to be combative — but to be clear.

What We’re Asking

We’re not asking for money. We’re asking for recognition. Inclusion. Collaboration.

We want Wirral Council to:

– Recognise the mural trail as part of the borough’s cultural infrastructure

– Work with local partners on upkeep and long-term development

– Understand that regeneration is emotional, not just economic

That’s it.

If you believe that culture matters, that public art is worth protecting, and that communities deserve to shape their own streets — then please:

👉 Sign the petition

👉 Share it with someone

👉 Email your local councillor and ask what they’re doing to support it

Because if we don’t act now, we risk letting one of Wirral’s proudest achievements fade away, one flake at a time. And that would be a tragedy we saw coming — and chose to ignore.