The mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett, pupils from St Philips, development partnership The English Cities Fund and contractor, Eric Wright Construction, came together recently to celebrate the unveiling of a new mural on Chapel Street, which has been designed by the school.
The mural, entitled Salford: Past, Present and Future, celebrates the city of Salford and will be situated on the site of the former mural, which was sadly vandalised.
ECF – a national development partnership between leading regeneration firm, Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England – has been delivering the £1bn, 50-acre Salford Central masterplan with Salford City Council since 2006. In 2020, ECF was appointed by both the council and the University of Salford to bring forward plans for Crescent, the 240-acre, £2.5bn regeneration scheme that will create a new city district that will champion Salford as a place to thrive and prosper.
Joe Stockton, development surveyor at ECF, said: “What an absolutely fantastic job the students of St Philips have done by designing this mural, which will rightly take pride of place in the city and be here for all to see for years to come.
“At ECF, we’re committed to working with the community to help bring projects like this forward and we’re delighted with what the children have created here.”
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “I was very disappointed when the original mural was vandalised and wanted it to be replaced as soon as possible. The mural celebrates the city’s rich heritage, and it is fantastic news that it is back in place for all to see.
“A big thank you goes to all the pupils at St Philips for their artwork which will be proudly on display for the next generation to see.”
Julie Kinch, executive headteacher at St Philips, added: “It has been a great pleasure to have been able to be involved in this project – particularly in the way that it has brought so many people in the community together to make a difference. The children of St Philips had been involved in the creation of the original mural and were upset to see it fall into such disrepair. The fact that they have been part of making something to replace it has given them a great sense of achievement and pride.
“We must take the opportunity to thank Dave Partington for his incredible support and for the inspiration he has given to the children. Their work, thanks to him, will be there for them to share for many years to come.
Thanks also to Eric Wright, Muse and The English Cities Fund for making this a reality.”
Robert Ianson, senior project manager at Eric Wright Construction, commented: “We have a long-standing involvement in this area of Salford, having acted as main contractor for ECF on Greenhouse and Atelier, and are proud to have been involved in the creation of this mural which is a wonderful representation of the community’s vibrant personality.”
ECF is currently on site with a number of schemes, including Eden – the 115,000 sq ft net zero in operation office building with Europe’s largest living wall; Four New Bailey – the striking 175,000 sq ft office building, which will be home to telecommunications giant, BT; Novella – 211 apartments available for sale, along with 96 affordable, Passivhaus sustainable homes at Greenhaus.
