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Advertising Lease Bobby
Moore Bridge – seeking support to award a lease for
advertising on the parapets of the bridge as opposed to the walls
of the subway enabling the heritage tile murals to be placed back on public display.

 
Cabinet NOTED the comments made
by Philip
Grant (local resident) in support of a petition containing
114 signatures requesting that the Council, in considering the
decision on award of the advertising lease for the Bobby Moore
Bridge, consider the option in awarding the lease that would only
allow advertising on the parapets of the bridge rather than walls
of the subway to enable the heritage tile murals on the subway
walls to be returned to public display. 
In referring to the decision due to be made on the new advertising
lease, Mr Grant advised of a presentation he had submitted (which
it was confirmed had been circulated to all members of Cabinet in
advance of the meeting) detailing why the petitioners felt the
murals deserved to put back on permanent display.  In detailing the
historical context to the commissioning of the original artwork,
which had been designed to celebrate Wembley’s iconic and
important role as a major sporting and entertainment venue, it was
pointed out that a majority of the murals had not been on display
since 2013 with the Wembley History Society having been involved in
a campaign to support them being reinstated to public view since
2018.  This campaign had resulted in
the football mural, with its plaque
celebrating the World Cup victory, as unveiled by
Bobby Moore’s widow in 1993, being uncovered for display the
following year with a further three murals placed back on temporary
display at the start of Brent’s year as London Borough of
Culture with the Council, he pointed out, having acknowledged the
tiles as part of Brent’s rich heritage.  These scenes, located just outside the subway, had
subsequently been placed back on
permanent display by Quintain in August 2022.
 
Whilst recognising that the tile
murals were not subject to formal legal protection, Mr Grant felt
that they should nevertheless be regarded as an important heritage
asset, with historic and cultural merit with the petitioners
therefore commending Option A, in relation to award of the
advertising lease, as a means of ensuring all residents and
visitors to the area would have an opportunity to enjoy the murals
as originally intended.
 
In highlighting Brent’s
commitment in seeking to value heritage assets, the opportunity was
also taken to remind members about the contribution of £17.8m
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to support the
improvements that had been made to Olympic Way, undertaken through
Quintain. 
These had included the installation of lighting designed for the
subway (recognised as an important safety requirement) based on LED
advertising panels which, it was pointed out, may need to be
removed once the current lease expired.  In considering
potential alternative lighting options the use of reflected lights
using the existing ceramic tiles was highlighted as a possible way of providing a more energy efficient
solution.
 
Referring to the
social value benefits identified within the Cabinet report due to
be considered on award of the advertising lease, it was felt
important to recognise these would need to be provided by the
supplier under the new lease regardless of the final option
selected. 
Whilst Option B would provide a higher financial return, it was
pointed out that Option A would still guaranteethe Council a
minimum rent in excess of £90k
with the overall financial difference felt to represent less than
the cultural, social, educational and heritage value of putting all
the murals back on public display.  On
this basis Mr Grant ended by urging Cabinet to support the petition
and approve Option A as the basis of the advertising lease to
be awarded.
 
In response, Councillor Muhammed
Butt (as Leader of the Council), thanked Philip Grant for attending
Cabinet in order to ensure the views of
those supporting the petition were represented as part of the
process in considering the final award of the advertising
lease.  Councillor Donnell-Jackson (as
Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Culture) also took the
opportunity to thank Philip Grant, welcoming the care he continued
to demonstrate for the borough’s heritage.