Port Talbot’s Banksy is set to be homeless by Christmas.
Season’s Greetings has only a matter of weeks to find a new roof over its head after its owner John Brandler was given notice for the iconic artwork.
No new home has yet to have been found for the popular artwork, which was originally discovered on the side of a Taibach garage just before Christmas 2018.
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A Neath Port Talbot Council spokesman said it was a courtesy letter to remind Mr Brandler needed to be safely removed following the end of their temporary agreement.
Mr Brandler claimed he was not informed as to who to speak to about how to have his artwork returned.
He said: “The people of Port Talbot wanted it and the bureaucracy did not. I do not know who in Pobl I need to speak to or who in the council.
“I was told your three years is up and now take it away. In all honesty, I have nowhere to put it.”
He added: “They say they have given me five weeks but you can take two weeks out because of Christmas and New Year and there’s a shortage of lorry drivers.”
In the letter from Simon Brennan, head of property and regeneration at the local authority, it said the artwork needed to be moved by January 14.
Mr Brandler said his thoughts were with the population of the town.
“I feel sorry because the people of Port Talbot want it,” he said.
When the Banksy was first discovered it drew crowds from far and wide and following its sale was moved to Ty’r Orsaf, a development of commercial units in the town’s Station Road, where people could view it through the glass.
A Neath Port Talbot Council spokesman said: “After Mr Brandler purchased the artwork and the Welsh Government paid for it to be moved to the then unoccupied retail unit in Ty’r Orsaf, Port Talbot, the agreement with Mr Brandler was always that Season’s Greetings could be viewed by members of the public there until the end of the temporary arrangement on January 14, 2022.
“The letter recently sent to Mr Brandler was merely a courtesy to remind him of this and to provide time for the owner of the artwork to put arrangements in place for its safe removal.
“The owner will also have a further period of 30 days after January 14th to finalise removal.
“Regarding Mr Brandler’s surprise that there are ‘no alternative options’ for the art work - discussions were held on future arrangements and the potential for the work to remain in Port Talbot, but the council was informed it would have to meet the costs of its removal and installation into a new venue, to continue to cover the insurance and to pay a fee in the region of £100,000 per year for the loan of the work.
“It has been estimated the cost of removal and relocation to another venue (even without insurance to cover the operation to move it) of Season’s Greetings would amount to a substantial sum.
“We have also been told by Mr Brandler that prior to the end of the agreement in January, he planned to move Season’s Greetings to an exhibition of street art in Peterborough.
“We would like to thank Mr Brandler for the loan of his artwork and giving so many people the chance to view it and hope that his future exhibitions are a success.
“We also thank the Pobl Group for agreeing to house Mr Brandler’s artwork since 2019.
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“The sudden arrival of Season’s Greetings in Taibach just before Christmas in 2018 has sparked great interest in street art generally within the County Borough and has led to the development of further street art works in Port Talbot in particular, which the council supports.
“The future of Season’s Greetings is now of course a matter for its owner, Mr Brandler.”
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