Neath Port Talbot Council has confirmed that the Banksy artwork - which stunned the town when it appeared on a garage in 2018 - is set to leave Wales for a new home across the border.
The rare artwork will leave the town in January to be displayed at a street art exhibition in Peterborough.
Questions have always been raised about the future of the artwork since it first appeared before Christmas, 2018, on the side of a Taibach garage.
Read more: Discover the sad story of the Port Talbot Banksy here.
Ian Lewis, owner of the garage, said at the time that he "didn't know what to do" about the surprise artwork, as thousands of people descended on the town to get a glimpse.
After sparking widespread interest and Welsh Government-funded around-the-clock security, the artwork was eventually snapped up by Banksy artworks collector John Brandler for six figures.
Brick by brick, the piece was then moved to a new location in Ty'r Orsaf, a development of commercial units in the town's Station Road, where people could view it through the glass.
Mr Brandler was told by the local authority that there were a number of prospective commercial tenants for the unit, and an agreement was formed that the piece could stay until January, 2022.
The council has now confirmed that this agreement will come to an end in January and the Banksy will soon leave the town and is set to appear in a street art exhibition in Peterborough, due to start next month.
Scores of people flocked to see the Banksy after the world famous street artist confirmed he was behind the work that appeared on a town garage overnight three years ago.
The work features a boy appearing to enjoy the snow on one wall, then, just around the corner, there's a metal commercial bin with a fire inside. What you initially think is snow, is actually falling ash from the material burning in the bin.
A video of the work on Banksy's Instagram page ends by rising above the the piece to show the Tata steelworks in Port Talbot in the distance. It was believed to be the first Banksy street art to appear in Wales.
Following his latest communication regarding the artwork, Mr Brandler added: “There’s another town in England who want a street art museum and they will build it around the Banksy, which will attract 400,000 to 500,000 visitors a year and they are going to build a hotel for all the visitors.
“We did a show in Bury St Edmunds and it had 22,000 visitors and it helped to generate millions of pounds for the town. I gave my word it would stay in Port Talbot for two years and it has been there for three years.”
He said he never had any issues with Pobl, which owned the Ty'r Orsaf site, during the time the work had been there.
Mr Brandler added: “Pobl have been fine for three years. I am thrilled they will use the artwork as a backdrop for the Christmas celebrations but by January 14, it has to be removed.”
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He said he had been offered the chance to sell the artwork but had yet to take up the opportunity.
“For three years, a gentleman from America asked me to sell the Banksy to him,” he said. “There is no reason why not to sell it there.”
The Welsh Government has previously indicated that the future of the Banksy is a matter for Mr Brandler, the building owner, along with Neath Port Talbot Council, as its officials' interests ceased when the work was safely extracted.
In a statement, Neath Port Talbot Council said: “The council wishes the owner of Season’s Greetings well and is grateful so many people had the chance to view it here in the time it was loaned to us. The future of Season’s Greetings is now of course a matter for Mr Brandler.”
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