An IndieGoGo crowd funding campaign to restore three Banksy murals at Glasgow's Argyle St Arches has recently gone live, so far reaching just over £1000 of the £30,000 needed.

Linked to the website banksy.scot, the campaign is a joint venture between Argyle St Arches and London-based Fine Art Restoration Co. Their restoration is certain to be controversial for Glasgow's creative community who have mourned the loss of the Arches as a nightclub and arts venue since its closure in 2015 following the withdrawal of its late licence.

The murals in question were made for the 2001 exhibition Peace is Tough which Banksy hosted along with artist Jamie Reid, who is well known for producing some of the most iconic imagery of Britain's punk movement, including posters and album covers for the Sex Pistols.

According to the campaign, the three Banksys were 'tragically painted over' when the Arches was shut down, but in a letter to The Scotsman, Andy Arnold, artistic director of the Arches at the time, says: 'They weren't accidentally painted over – it was our conscious decision to obliterate them to make way for other arts activities in the building.'

The Arches was renowned for lending visibility to up and coming performers and artists, and though Banksy's work is now so valuable that it is prised off walls and sold at auction, he is just one among many artists who developed work in the space. Though doors will be open to the public while the restoration takes place and branded mugs, hoodies and canvases can be bought online to raise funds, the process looks set to stir up mixed feelings among the city's arts community.

Argyle St Arches, Glasgow, restoration can be viewed weekends, completion due Dec.