New Inn pub Erdington: Landowners react as petition launched to save popular bar

Landowners of a popular pub at the heart of a Birmingham neighbourhood have reacted to claims that the beloved bar is about to be closed down and demolished as a petition has been launched to save it.

Current tenants at The New Inn pub are set to take their final orders this week with the closing date earmarked as Saturday, September 30. The family-run bar on Summer Road in Erdington has been known locally as as the “best pub in Erdington” and is an important landmark for the Irish Community and Villa fans.

The tenants, the Black Family, have run the New Inn for the past 6.5 years and when they learned that the landowners RedCat Pub Company wanted to sell it, they told how they offered to buy it themselves - but their offer was rejected, posting on Facebook on September 19: “We as the ‘Black Family’ officially leave the Pub within the next two weeks after 6.5 years. We have had the opportunity to buy the site ourselves. However, our offer was rejected. This leads us to the information as the New Inns is not technically listed building developers could be purchasing the site for demolition and residential housing. “

“We wish that the pub will remain heart of the Irish Community as a pub and will fight to save this before the sale reaches open market (avoiding potential demolition & HMO applications). But unfortunately for the time being we want to say a huge thank you and appreciation of love to all our staff over the years and customers that have become friends if not family.”

New Inn landlords RedCat react to New Inn pub petition amid claims the bar could close

The New Inn is not a listed building and it was feared that developers could potentially purchase the site for a different purpose. But the RedCat company told BirminghamWorld that that won’t be the case.

A spokesperson for RedCat told BirminghamWorld today (September 25): “As we have repeatedly told the tenant, it is not our intention to sell the pub for development and at no stage have we considered a change of use for the property.”

Fears over gentrification of Erdington

Almost 2,000 people have signed it the petition to save the New Inn pub so far. Petitioner Sam Hodgins said there are concerns that Erdington could become ‘gentrified’ if pubs like the New Inn are demolished and developed into homes.

He wrote on Change.org: “The pub serves both the local Irish Community and the wider Erdington Community, and the news has been received with dismay and disgust, particularly with the recent events of the Crooked House pub, and many of the Irish Community have already felt the negative effects and impacts due to the gentrification of Digbeth, which is now expanding in Erdington with many pubs, community centres, etc. being demolished by developers and ruining the longstanding community feeling of the area in the process.

“We are therefore asking the Red Cat Pub Company to retain the site as a pub for public use and to reconsider the bid of the Tenants to keep the pub as their home and for use by the community as Erdington does not wish to lose a much loved venue that has supported charity events, local people and several local sports teams over the years.” If you interested in showing your support to the petition, you can sign it on Change.org.

Claims that the pub could be demolished created frustration and concern among the community with many people questioning the need to sell the property.

One person wrote on the petition: “Signing here to save the pub for future generations to enjoy and watch traditional irish sports. This pub is also a Villa stronghold. Many Beers & Guinness drank before heading into Aston. The building also has ecstatic value in architecture. Do you really want to create yet another HMO (Outdoor Prisons) in its place, so a private equity firm can make a quick buck of the back of the taxpayer? Arthur Guinness would be spinning in his grave.”

Another supporter added: “Signing as surely this lovely building is ‘listed’ or should be, making change of use more difficult and less attractive to developers.”

Another pub-goer said: “I have always found the New Inn a safe haven in Erdington. It has so many happy memories that it’s hard to imagine it no longer being there. I’ve worked behind the bar over the years and it means so much to the wider Irish community.”