Unconfirmed deal sees Whitehouse pub mural and Love Plane bound for Qatar
The saga of Liverpool’s aborted, multi million pound development projects took a new twist today with a claim that five pieces of wall art, by the renowned street artist Banksy, have been sold to an anonymous Qatari buyer for $5.2m.
The alleged sale, said to include the famous rat and biplane works, is shrouded in as much mystery as Banksy himself.
A spokesman who has represented the developers North Point Global announced that Liverpool based Samuel Beilin and Partners have sold the Banksy works.
A statement, received in the early hours of this morning, adds: “The wall art, which includes the infamous 'White Rat' from the White House public house in Duke Street Liverpool, was to have been loaned to North Point Global Group for display at their proposed Berry House Gallery development in the Baltic Triangle area of the city, but the group recently announced that this scheme, as well as their others, would not be proceeding.”
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The statement added: “A spokesman for Samuel Beilin and Partners said ‘Whilst it is disappointing that this wall art is leaving Liverpool our client believed that it had become tainted by all of the adverse publicity being aimed at North Point Global Group by both the Liverpool Echo and Liverpool City Council. They have therefore completed a sale to an overseas buyer who will be exhibiting the works, along with many others, across the Middle East very soon.’"
The rat, which appeared during the Liverpool Biennial of 2004, was said to be the largest Banksy in the world. It remained on the wall of the derelict White House pub, in Berry Street, until 2013 when the building was restored by Ascot Properties. At the time, local heritage campaigner Wayne Colquhoun said he doubted that it could be restored.
Read: Farewell to the World's biggest Banksy
The Love Plane, whose arrival in December 2011 was exclusively revealed by Liverpool Confidential appeared on the gable end wall of Norwich House in Rumford Street/Covent Garden car park.
It was removed last year for "restoration". In the gaping hole left in its place, a note was left by The Sincura Group (which has form in dealing with the removal and sale of Banksy works from buildings) and North Point Global. It claimed the plane (its integral smoke trail was left behind) would reappear in a new museum of Liverpool street art at some point in the future.
At the time of writing, Sincura's website carries a similar message of intent regarding the museum that was said to be opening in Baltic House, part of North Point Global's now abandoned series of developments that included New Chinatown and Pall Mall.
Banksy's "Never Liked The Beatles" piece, which was painted in nearby Seel Street in 2011, only to vanish within days, also surfaces on the Sincura site.
A spokesman for North Point Global Group said: “We are not surprised that these valuable and highly sought after works have been sold but with the sale of our investment and development properties ongoing we weren’t able to accommodate them and both the Liverpool Echo and Liverpool City Council have made it impossible for us to carry on business in the City.”
No further information is available at this time, it added.
There is, at the moment, no way of confirming the facts contained in the statement.
Samuel Beilin and Partners
Companies House lists Samuel Beilin and Partners as an active company, with a registered office in St Helens.
It lists Paul Jagota, described as a general manager, as a partner, appointed as a director on December 23, 2015.
The records show Samuel Beilin, described as a consultant, resigned from the company as a director in April, 2014.
Jagota is listed as a director of a number of companies included Coconut Grove Developments, based at the Edward Pavilion at the Albert Dock. The records show that Lee James Spencer was a director until he resigned in 2016. Spencer has also served as a director of North Point Global.
In 2010, the Echo reported that property developer Sam Beilin, 48, had been declared bankrupt with debts of around £1m.
The report added that Beilin, former secretary of TRB Estates, was made bankrupt by Liverpool County Court after a petition was described against him. Beilin was described as a former chairman of Jewish youth centre Harold House and a fundraiser for the NSPCC.
