Ringo Starr‘s birthplace has been saved from demolition, according to UK Housing Minister Grant Shapps.
The Beatles drummer’s former home will not be knocked down by Liverpool City Council as part of their plans to regenerate the Welsh Streets area of the city, and it will now be refurbished.
According to the BBC, the house on 9 Madryn Street, in Dingle, is one of 16 on the street spared from the bulldozer; although 400 homes in the area will be pulled down.
Speaking about the victory, Grant Shapps said a “tide of community spirit” had saved the home, which he described as being a “beacon of Beatlemania”.
He added: “But it’s also a lot more than that – a real example of communities having the power and voice to step in and save the places they treasure most. 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.”
Ringo Starr’s childhood home is currently boarded up and is covered in graffiti from The Beatles fans. Starr is currently working on a musical film, titled Hole In The Fence, with Eurythmics guitarist David A Stewart.