Crooked House owners ordered to rebuild wonky pub
The owners of the Crooked House pub in Himley have been ordered to rebuild the site "to what it was prior to the fire" by South Staffordshire Council.
The pub, once known as "Britain's wonkiest inn", was destroyed in a blaze and subsequently demolished in August last year, just two weeks after it was sold by Marston's brewery.
It provoked outrage in the local community and led to a police investigation. Five men and one woman arrested in connection with the fire, which is being treated as arson, remain on conditional bail.
South Staffordshire Council has served an enforcement notice on the owners of the Crooked House for the "unlawful demolition of the building", which breached planning controls.
The council said it had engaged with the owners since the destruction of the pub and decided that "formal action is considered necessary".
The owners have three years from 27 February 2024 to comply with the notice and must rebuild the pub using specified materials.
A statement from the council said: "We continue to urge everyone to stay off the site, not to breach the fencing, nor remove any materials as it may hamper ongoing investigations being carried out by multiple agencies."
Councillor Roger Lees added: "A huge amount of time and resources have been put into investigating the unauthorised demolition of the Crooked House.
"We have not taken this action lightly, but we believe that it is right to bring the owners, who demolished the building without consent, to account and we are committed to do what we can to get the Crooked House rebuilt."
The Crooked House was built in the 18th century and became a tourist attraction after mining in the area caused the building to partially sink, allowing visitors to roll coins and marbles uphill along the bar.
In September last year, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) called for planning laws to be amended to ensure pubs that are illegally shut down or demolished can be rebuilt "brick by brick".
Gary Timmins, CAMRA's pub and club campaigns director, said: "The destruction of the Crooked House was a national tragedy, so it's fantastic news that the owners have been ordered to rebuild the pub brick-by-brick.
"This is exactly what we were hoping to hear from South Staffordshire Council, and it's a testament to the hard work of all the dedicated campaigners who stepped up and fought for the Crooked House.
"Unfortunately, CAMRA is still investigating eight from 2023 where pubs appear to have been demolished or converted without apparent planning permission.
"We're calling for Government to bolster planning policy so that unscrupulous developers know they will face action if they breach the law."
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