Black history mural listing update from Historic England

Louise Keane (Katesgrove Green Party candidate)
campaigning to save the central club and the mural.

I wrote to Historic England on behalf of Green councillors and campaigners in support of listing the Black History Mural. They got back to me with a few more details about what they plan to do. See below and let me know what you think. We will keep working with the black community to give the mural the protection it deserves.

"Many thanks for your email. We will be reviewing some of the listings in Reading as part of the upcoming High Streets Heritage Action Zone project, and this will include assessing the Black History Mural in London Street for listing. We took the view that considering the mural for listing as part of the HSHAZ would be appropriate because the cultural programme will enable working closely with local communities to understand the significance of the mural (and other candidates for listing) ensuring their input into the town’s listing project as a whole. You can find more information on that project here; https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/heritage-action-zones/regenerating-historic-high-streets/.

The assessment process itself can take around 6 months, although it is not clear exactly when we will begin, given the current circumstances. But please rest assured that we will be assessing the mural for listing over the coming months, and we will engage with the community as part of this process."