West Bromwich MP Adrian Bailey joins fight to save Sow and Pigs

Mar 17 2009 by Chris Henwood, Birmingham Post

The fight to save a Black Country pub dating back nearly 300 years has been backed by a local MP who says plans to turn the building into flats is a threat to British “history, heritage and culture”.

West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey wants to save the Sow and Pigs from developers. He has written to Sandwell Council planning director Robert Lee calling for a rejection of proposals to turn it into into two flats, with another two two-bedroom homes behind it.

He is joined in the fight by the Campaign For Real Ale and Sow and Pigs landlord Nirmal Kumar, who has handed Sandwell Council a petition of 600-plus names opposing the plan.

The pub dates from 1726 and Mr Bailey said proposals would hit the landlord’s livelihood and the area. Mr Kumar said he had worked hard to turn around the pub’s fortunes since taking over last October by staying open daily six hours longer and adding home-made curries and samosas to the food menu.

He said: “It just doesn’t make sense to get rid of a successful pub like this and at the same time destroy an important piece of Black Country heritage.”

The plans were submitted by London-based agents SUSD, who are expecting the proposals to be passed today after council officials said they should win approval.

A SUSD spokesman, who refused to identify the owners of the land, said: “We’ve been told the pub’s had very poor trading figures. We’ve slightly amended our initial plans to make it a more traditional, courtyard development. And it’s not like the area’s short of pubs.”