The owners of “Britain’s wonkiest pub” have launched an appeal against an order to rebuild the pub after it burned down and was then demolished.
South Staffordshire Council served an enforcement notice on ATE Farms Ltd, the owners of the Crooked House in Himley, West Midlands, after they failed to gain listed building consent in order to tear the ruins of the building down after the fire in August last year, just two weeks after it was sold.
Now the council says the owners have appealed an enforcement notice dictating it must be rebuilt in the next three years.
What happened to the pub?
The Crooked House Pub, built in 1765, was known for its slanted architecture, which was caused by subsidence, leading it to be known as “Britain’s wonkiest pub”.
However, after being purchased by property developers, the Crooked House burned down on August 5 and was demolished without planning permission or listed building consent on August 7.
Six people were arrested by Leicestershire Police in connection with the incident and have been released on conditional bail.
Why was it ordered to be rebuilt?
The council, which recovered around 25,000 bricks from the site and put them in storage, said it had engaged with the owners since the demolition but had reached a point where formal action was considered necessary.
It requires the building to be built back to what it was prior to the fire.
A press release states: “The council understands and empathises with the concern and interest following the demolition of the Crooked House, Himley in 2023.
“We are continuing to work with the police and other partners, including Health and Safety Executive (HSE), building control and Historic England, and our focus is on our own investigation regarding the planning and building control breaches with the aim of reaching a positive outcome.
“This remains our priority, and it is very important that whilst the council is still investigating the incident and considering our legal options and next steps, we do not comment on any element of the ongoing investigation, so that we do not potentially prejudice our enforcement action.”
The fate of the 260-year-old pub has prompted debate on whether greater protections are needed for Britain's historic buildings – for example, a ‘Crooked House Law’ – and whether there should be a change in planning laws to ensure similar incidents do not happen again.
Why have the owners appealed the decision?
A South Staffordshire Council spokesperson said: “There is no further information available at this time and we will issue an update when we have more information.”
However, architects specialising in historical buildings have said rebuilding the Crooked House to its original state, including the 15-degree lean, will be expensive.
"It is not something that happens overnight, it can be an extensive process," said Steven Hearn, the head of collections and interpretation at Worcestershire's Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings.
CAMRA’s pub and club campaigns director, Gary Timmins, said: “To hear that the owners of the Crooked House in Himley have appealed against South Staffordshire Council’s enforcement notice to rebuild the demolished pub is concerning, albeit fully expected news.”
