Calls to ‘step up’ with tram extension work

THE boss of one of Digbeth's most beloved independent venues has urged the Midland Metro Alliance to “step up” and get the Eastside Metro Extension finished to ease pressure on the neighbourhood’s businesses.

- KIRSTY BOSLEY

Lee Nabbs is the director of Mockingbird Cinema, an independent picture house in the Custard Factory, which has its own adjoining bar, The Nest.

The Mockingbird has been a mainstay in Digbeth for a decade, but for much of that time, changes to road layouts, construction work and street closures have taken a toll on the neighbourhood.

The second phase of the Eastside Metro Extension was expected to finish in May, but work is still ongoing with a spokesperson for Transport for West Midlands advising that it had arranged extra shifts with contractors to get the job finished.

Norton's bar owner, Peter Connolly, shared his frustration at the closure, with cinema owner Lee saying it's “heartbreaking to see neighbours struggling through no fault of their own”