Popular TikToker Spudman fights to keep his original spot in Tamworth after council changes impact his stall.
Spudman said he must leave his spot because a new flowerbed is being built there. Traders moved during construction in November, thinking they could return after.
Spudman has millions of TikTok followers and said his spot is now taken by a flowerbed. The council offered him a different location, but he wants his original pitch where he built his business.
He said that customers know where to find him. The council also wants to change trader rules, stating that pitches cannot be passed down anymore, and traders must reapply every year.
Spudman bought his pitch years ago from a retiring seller, paying a lot for it. It was a transferable asset before, making it his biggest asset. Receiving this news has greatly saddened him, and other places have already offered him spots.
Spudman is now a TikTok star, and people travel to Tamworth to eat his potatoes. A councilor wrote to the council leader, asking them to reconsider Spudman’s situation because losing him would be a disaster.
The council leader valued local businesses a lot. Spudman had to move temporarily due to construction, and he would be welcomed back afterward.
The new square layout will have some changes. Spudman is offered a spot nearby the monument, a few meters from his old pitch. The council owns the square, and traders are licensed to use a pitch.
The council looks forward to completing the work, and traders will return to the square soon. Spudman wants to hold another event, and the council helps him prepare for it, ensuring everything complies with the law.
The council wants to work with Spudman and acknowledged his contributions to the community. They recently awarded him the Freedom of the Borough. The square’s redevelopment was started by the past council.
The current council must finish the project and acknowledges that engaging the traders could have been better. They pledge to improve communications now, and the council leader wants to meet with Spudman to hear his concerns directly.