Beatles fans have saved Ringo Starr’s childhood home from demolition, even though critics claim that Starr only spent a few years of his childhood in the home.
The Liverpool City Council has threatened to demolish the properties in the area for several years in order to remodel the run down area.
Grant Shapps, the housing minister, asked the Liverpool City Council several years ago to hold off on demolishing Starr’s old home.
Shapps announces happily that over 14 million pounds have been raised in order to preserve the building.
Starr, 71, was born in the building on July 4, 1940. He lived there only for a few years after his birth before him and his family transferred over to a different home.
According to reports from the Telegraph,
In 2010 English Heritage refused to grant Starr’s birthplace listed building status on the grounds that the drummer only lived there for a very short time, it had no associations with the Beatles’ success and was “not architecturally or historically significant enough”.
The community’s victory over the city council meant more than just acquiring and taking responsibility for Starr’s old home and the other properties in the area; this victory showed Liverpool citizens that they had the strength and the voice to make changes in their community.
Shapps stated that the decision to not demolish Starr’s old home was a “real example of communities having the power and voice to step in a save the places they treasure most.”
He added,
With the help of Liverpool residents we worked it out and Madryn street can be saved for the nation. Its future will now be in the hands of local residents – if they can make a success of this street then many more similar houses and streets could be saved.
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