Wakefield Council's Ferrybridge power station mural plan scrapped in row over Nazi symbolism

Ferrybridge SS mural
The design aimed to celebrate Ferrybridge Power Station's role in energy production. Credit: Local Democracy Reporting Service

A West Yorkshire council has scrapped its plan to paint a mural on the side of a fish and chip shop over claims it contained a design similar to insignia worn by Nazi SS officers.

Wakefield Council has commissioned public artwork in each of its 21 wards across the district as part of its Our Year 2024 celebrations.

One of those was for High Street in Ferrybridge, to celebrate the village’s links to the former Ferrybridge C power station and its role in producing energy for the nation.

But local councillors complained after being shown a mock-up, which they said looked to contain an SS lightning bolt logo.

Leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group Peter Girt acknowledged the council's decision to redesign the mural but he suggested they should take a step further and find a new artist.

He said: "My concern, and I need to voice this, is that when you’ve got an artist that thinks it’s ok to use the Nazi SS symbol to signify lightning bolts, and has to be told that’s not appropriate, I don’t think that’s an artist we should be working with.

"And it’s alright going back to him and saying ‘right, do a redesign’. I’d rather just see a different artist."

The design was said to contain symbols similar to SS insignia. Credit: Local Democracy Reporting Service

At a council meeting on Wednesday 27 November, the council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport Hannah Appleyard disputed Councillor Girt’s claim that it contained Nazi symbolism but said the design would no longer be used.

Cllr Girt asked Cllr Appleyard: "I would like you to give me that assurance that we are not going to be associated with this artist, and that we will have a different artist."

Cllr Appleyard replied: "He didn’t use SS symbols. I think that is deliberately misleading in the chamber.

"Given that it was a mural celebrating the heritage of Ferrybridge power station, it’s quite clear that they were lightning bolts.

"At the time there was feedback, and there have been adaptations to remove any suggestion. But I think it is a matter of perception.

"At the moment we are working with that artist. We have got a further consultation period.

"There are further designs that are coming forward. I think we need to focus on what is coming next.

"As I have already said to you, those designs aren’t going to be used now anyway, so you are bringing up things that I don’t think are relevant."

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