Former 'organised crime' pub in Wolverhampton set to be turned into flats
A troubled former Wolverhampton pub with a history of serious crime dating back more than 20 years will be turned into a food store and apartment block, if plans get the go-ahead.
The Talisman, in the Scotlands area of the city, has been a hotbed of criminal activity for decades, with a fatal shooting taking place on the car park in 2001, regular major police raids and repeated incidents of public disorder.
In 2018 a gang was rumbled running a massive drugs empire from the premises, which led to the arrest and conviction of six people.
It was later revealed deals worth up to £10,000 had been taking place since 2016, alongside a cocaine courier service running to other parts of the city from the pub.
A search of the property also uncovered a hoard of stolen power tools which were being sold on by one of the gang members.
Another raid on the pub yielded a huge stash of cannabis and equipment and facilities for growing the drug.
Regulars launched a campaign to save the pub in 2016 but it finally closed permanently in December 2018 – the second time the venue had been shut down in two years.
In May last year a severe blaze – believed to be arson – gutted a large part of the pub, which had remained boarded up since its closure.
City council planners this week received an application from Mr Pal Sanghera of Dudley-based SEP Properties Ltd, who is seeking to redevelop the premises into a Heron food store with 18 residential apartments above.
Planning officials are yet to make a decision on the proposals.
