Developer seeks car park extension at Black Sabbath's first gig venue

National World - LocalTV

The Crown Inn in Birmingham—where Black Sabbath played their first gig—remains closed. As the owners seek to extend its use as a car park, campaigners say the delay puts Birmingham’s cultural identity at risk. We explore both sides of the row and ask what’s really going on behind Station Street.

Transcript

00:00The Crown Inn, once a cradle of heavy metal, now quietly decaying behind New Street Station.

00:06This boarded-up pub was where Black Sabbath first took to the stage,

00:10but decades after that iconic gig, the site's future is still in limbo and tempers are flaring again.

00:17To Yoko Inn, the building's owners say they still plan to bring it back to life.

00:22Their vision, a new 300-bed hotel behind it and a revamped Crown Inn as a live music venue.

00:29But they've now applied to extend use of the site as a car park for another three years and campaigners have had enough.

00:37They climb the developers are dragging their feet, that promises are easy but action is thin on the ground.

00:44And they fear that another few years of delay could quietly arise one of Birmingham's most significant cultural landmarks.

00:51This isn't just about one pub, it's about the future of Station Street,

00:55an area already rocked by the sudden closure of the electric cinema.

01:00Campaigners say the street is steeped in music, film and working class history.

01:05They want a clear enforceable timeline for development, not more waiting around.

01:10They say the final development could bring in millions, boost jobs and help regenerate the Southside district.

01:17But, sceptics argue, we've heard it all before.

01:20And without progress, the damage to Birmingham's identity may already be done.

01:25This row isn't just planning bureaucracy, it's a tug of war between profits and heritage.

01:31The Crown stands at the centre, and for many it's not just a building,

01:35it's a symbol of what this city gave to the world.

01:38Whether it will stand proud in years to come, that reminds to be seen.

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