Tiktok sensation Spudman has won a fight to remain on his pitch after a council u-turned on their decision to move him – to make way for a flowerbed.
More than 110,000 people signed a petition calling on Ben Newman, 40, to be allowed to remain at the site he had been trading from for 21 years in Tamworth, Staffs.
Last year he was told he would be temporarily moved from his spot in St Editha’s Square while the area was redeveloped by Tamworth Borough Council.
Ben – who has over four million followers on TikTok – said he was told last week he wouldn’t get his original pitch back as he needed to make way for a flowerbed.
But following an online petition on Change.org backed by thousands, the local authority said they had “listened to the voices of Tamworth”.
Speaking today (Thurs) Ben said: “The first I heard about it was when people started coming up to the van saying ‘congratulations’ to me.
“The council haven’t even come along and informed me about it, I’ve had to rely on Facebook to find out.
“They only had to walk three minutes around the corner but the bottom line is they have listened and it’s brilliant news.
“This business is everything to me, along with my family, so it will make all the difference for us that we are allowed to stay.
“To every single one of those people who signed the petition and supported us I just want to say a massive thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you.
“The council have listened, but I can’t see how they couldn’t with the sheer number of people signing that petition.
“I just want to get back to saying positive things about Tamworth instead because it’s such a great town.
“I didn’t really want any negativity around the place but we had to fight our corner and it feels great to say we’ve won.”
Ben, of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs., also took to social media to tell followers: “Thank you very much, and mission accomplished!
“We got our pitch back, and it’s all down to you lot signing the petition, so thank you very very much!”
Ben shot to unlikely online fame last year after sharing videos of his daily life as a humble jacket potato seller in the market town.
Customers queued for up to three hours to get their hands on his famous £5 spuds with visitors flocking from all over the world.
Many were left disgusted at the council’s decision to move him, saying he had brought more business and tourists flocking to Tamworth.
But Tamworth Borough Council has now announced it is to “revise plans for St Editha’s Square refurbishment following significant public feedback.”
Carol Dean, Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said: “We’ve heard the clear and passionate voice of our community about plans for St Editha’s Square.
“The overwhelming response has demonstrated how deeply our residents and visitors care about our town centre and its traders.
“I want to assure everyone that Tamworth Borough Council exists to serve our community, and when we get such a strong message, it is our duty to listen, consider and respond.
“Therefore, I am announcing that we have revised our plans for Editha’s Square.
“This was a considered decision at the Future High Street Fund board meeting, where councillors, from both Labour and Conservative groups are represented.
“This decision means that Ben Newman, known to many as ‘Spud Man’, will be able to return to their original trading location.
“We value the contribution of all our local traders who bring character and vitality to our town centre, and very much look forward to traders once again back on the square when the works are complete.
“Work is continuing as planned, and we anticipate reopening the area at the end of May, as originally scheduled.
“We acknowledge this issue has caused concern within our community, and we are determined to learn from this experience.
“Moving forward, we will make sure our consultation processes are more robust and that we engage more effectively with all stakeholders before making decisions that affect our shared spaces.
“We remain dedicated to the regeneration and improvement of our town while preserving its unique character and supporting the people who make it special, including our market traders.
“Part of this is making sure all traders are properly registered with all DBS checks in place, so that everyone can trade safely and successfully within our revitalised town centre.
“We thank everyone who took the time to share their views with us and look forward to continuing to work together for the benefit of Tamworth.”
The petition in support of the popular potato seller was set up on Change.org by local resident Paul Montgomery.
He wrote: “Spudman, beloved in our community for years, has faithfully served customers at his original location.
“It’s also worth noting that small businesses, such as Spudman’s, hold significant importance to local economies…
“We, therefore, urge the Tamworth Council to uphold the previous council’s decision and promptly reinstate Spudman to his original pitch.”
Petition supporter and Tamworth resident Michelle Gould said: “Spudman has done more for our town than any Councillor.. he deserves to be on his pitch that he has been trading on for the last 20+years.”
Another supporter, Emma Williams, added: “Ben has put Tamworth on the map all over the world.”
