Russo’s street art breathes life into our dull town and should stay

Last week it was proposed by Charnwood Borough Council that Raffaele Russo has to remove his popular street art otherwise he will face prosecution. 

Loughborough is a small, grey, East Midlands town with pretty much nothing to offer. It is a place of rain, misery and despair, where your local hangout consists of Bingo or watching the locals fight over a cheeseburger in McDonalds.

If you’re unfortunate enough to have to spend any time in the town centre, you will be filled with such an overwhelming emotion to leave that you’ll cry all the way home, wishing you had just stayed in bed rather than venturing into town.

Entrepreneur Russo, with the help of street artist Buber Nebz, attempted to give Lufbra a bit of personality. By branding colourful, and artistic, examples of street art across the borough, he wanted to make the students feel as if they were at a university where the town was full of vibrancy.

His Lego Men creation on Leopold Street has become a local attraction, allowing the residents of the Golden Triangle to actually be able to distinguish where they are, instead of getting confused by the endless rows of red brick, pre-WW2, industrial terraced houses.

The London Underground depiction above his Loc8Me letting agency in Ashby Square gives Lufbra’s southern students a reminder that there is an escape from this dire town.

But above all else, it gives Lufbra a bit of glam. It makes it a distinguished and innovate town, where students will not feel ashamed or miserable strutting their stuff around the bubble as they know that just around the corner they will be greeted by some colourful and creative pieces of art work.

Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, David Slater, said: “I think the guy’s creativeness is wonderful and is trying to bring some joy”.

So why are they forcing Russo to remove the artwork that Buber Nebz has worked so hard to create?

Understandably, there are certain laws in place which Russo supposedly violated. But surely the council could make an exception for a man who has pumped thousands of pounds into Lufbra, through a handful of largely successful business including his large estate agency Loc8Me and his student favourite Peter Pizzeria.

Buber Nebz, the incredibly talented street artist in question, told The Tab: “Without the art work, Loughborough would be plain and boring, nothing to make you smile as you’re walking to work. I think the council should be thanking him instead.”

Charnwood Borough Council are making a huge mistake, as over 1,000 people signed a petition last August in support of the Lego Men, suggesting that a lot of people want Lufbra to be a town of colour and individual style, rather than a place filled with grey buildings and misery.

The Council should be listening to the people who live in the town centre. The relationship between the students and the locals is already on tender hooks, but by allowing the street art to stay in place they’ll be able to create a positive, town cohesion amongst all it’s residents.

Loughborough is always going to be pretty shit, by why not give one of it’s most successful contributors the opportunity to make it a place that people actually want to visit rather than somewhere which people try to avoid?