School artists brighten ‘Chernobyl’ hoardings

Moses the waving man is among the subjects

Young artists from schools in Torbay have been doing their bit to brighten up a neglected corner of the bay once dubbed ‘Chernobyl-on-Sea.’

They have created a huge mural along hoardings at Hollicombe which shield a building site which has been empty for years.

Residents and councillors complained about the hoardings earlier this year, describing them as a scruffy eyesore. Developers quickly gave them a lick of paint, and now the teenage artists have gone a step further.

The barriers now have a seal, a seagull and a steam train, blue sky and the sea. A couple of local characters have also found their way on to the mural. A man known as ‘Moses’ who sits beside the road and waves to passing drivers is on the mural, as is a local athlete whose training runs in a

Star Wars stormtrooper helmet take him past the site.

The area has been derelict for more than 12 years after planning permission was granted for nearly 200 houses on the old gasworks. Earlier this year Cllr Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) said he was ‘horrified’ at the state of the hoardings and urged developers Countrywide

Partnerships to fix them.

“When we approached the developers, they agreed straight away,” said Cllr Cordelia Law (Lib Dem, Tormohun). “I think they look great.

“The artists were asked to paint what Torbay meant to them, and these are the results. It’s a lovely thing.”

Schools involved so far include the Brunel Academy and the Burton Academy at Paignton along with the Sound Communities youth organisation.

Mosaics from other local schools will be added later.