Plea for historic Walsall pub to be restored for the community as it goes up for auction
A community group in Walsall is fighting to preserve a historic pub from being converted into flats, urging potential buyers to restore it as a pub or community space.
The White Lion on Sandwell Street in Walsall is up for auction on Thursday, February 13, with a guide price of £375,000 – £395,000.
Friends of the White Lion Group organised a protest on Friday February 7 attended by former drinkers, councillors and members of Campaign for Real Ale. It was heard that several famous faces had been through the doors at the Caldmore pub including Roy Wood and Mike Burney of Wizzard, Steve Gibbons, and more.
The pub was owned by Admiral Taverns when it closed in 2020. Its current owners 88 Capital Investments Ltd has advertised it for sale with the potential for conversion into 13 residential units.
However, Friends of the White Lion Group has vowed to oppose any plans which prioritise profit over the heritage and social value of the building. The group has urged any potential buyers who share their vision for preserving the building to get in touch.
Group chairman Mark Webster said: “Capital 88, a faceless profiteering company, are now selling the building by auction. They’re advertising the building as potentially suitable to convert into 13 living spaces.
“Which you can imagine is quite a squeeze and includes building on the car park and putting three flats in the historic cellar. As a group we oppose these plans as they present an approach which is all about maximising profit without considering the impact of the development on the area.”
Councillor Aftab Nawaz, ward councillor for St Matthews, added: “We fully support the work you’re doing here. It’s in such a crucial place that it could do a lot more than being sold off for flats.
“We are sick of it in St Matthews particularly. People come along and convert old buildings into flats and HMOs. We should be protecting buildings like this from developers who just come in and all they care about is profit.”
Shirley Johnson celebrated her 18th birthday at the pub, and her father had his first pint there after returning home from the army in 1947. She said: “I’m here representing the whole of the Johnson clan. We always said if we won the Euro Millions we would buy this pub for my dad.
“We used to do the pub crawl by starting here, then the Dog and Partridge and the Duke of Wellington, they’re all flats now. It’s so sad. The thought of this being another HMO is just horrible.”
Campaigns director for Camra, Gary Timmins, said: “The local pub is the centre of the community. Once the centres of the community have gone, what is there? There’s nowhere to come together. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Recently the Friends of the White Lion Group had been successful in getting the pub listed as an Asset of Community Value. Under the legislation, owners wishing to sell properties with ACV status must first offer it up to the community first.
Now the six-month moratorium period has passed, the owner has the right to sell it to any buyer. The auction of the pub is being handled by Shonki Brothers and will take place Thursday, February 13.
