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WONKY PUB'S BACK
Crooked House pub will be REBUILT as owners ordered to return it to original state before ‘unlawful demolition’
Cops made a number of arrests after the popular boozer was burnt down
THE Crooked House pub will be rebuilt after the owners were ordered to return it to its original state after an "unlawful demolition".
The iconic boozer in Himley, Staffordshire, burned down in a horror blaze on August 5 just two weeks after it was sold to new owners.
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On the day of the blaze, Staffordshire and West Midlands fire services raced to the scene on Himley Road to battle the flames but could not contain the inferno.
The shell of the charred pub was reduced to rubble by diggers just 36 hours after the blaze.
Now, the council have served an Enforcement Notice on the owners of the popular public house.
"An enforcement notice has been issued against the owners for its unlawful demolition," Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, said.
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"They have been ordered to rebuild the pub back to what it was before the fire - just as we've been lobbying for."
The council has engaged with the owners since the demolition but has reached a point where formal action is considered necessary.
The Mayor welcomed the order for the 18th century pub to be restored.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he said: "Crooked House ordered to be rebuilt.
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"An enforcement notice has been issued against the owners for its unlawful demolition.
"They have been ordered to rebuild the pub back to what it was before the fire - just as we've been lobbying for.
"Fantastic work from South Staffordshire Council."
The popular boozer, where coins and marbles would appear to roll uphill along the bar, was put forward for listed status protection days before it was destroyed.
It would have meant that the owners, who bought the pub in October 2023, would have needed council permission to knock it down.
The enforcement notice served against the owners now requires the building to be rebuilt by February 2027, the council said.
If work is not completed within the time limit, the local authority can prosecute for failure to comply with the notice, it added.
I will not rest until the Crooked House is built back brick by brick."
Marco Longhi, MP for Dudley North
The owners have just 30 days to appeal and the notice must be complied with within three years.
Marco Longhi, the MP for Dudley North, said in a statement: "The demolition of the Crooked House shook our community here in Dudley and across the Black Country, so it's fantastic news that an enforcement notice has been served on the owners for demolition without consent.
"The Crooked House owners are now required to rebuild the site back to its former glory and I will not rest until the Crooked House is built back brick by brick.
"Let this serve as a warning to anyone who wants to launch an attack on our heritage sites - you will not get away with it."
Lee Goodchild, 46, who ran the iconic watering hole from September 2022 until June 2023, welcomed the decision to rebuild the wonky pub.
He said: "I think it's excellent news - it is what everybody wanted to happen, for it to be rebuilt, and now that looks like its going to happen.
"Whether it will ever open as a trading pub remains to be seen but at least people are going to get to see the Crooked House rise again.
"I would love it to become a pub again, it deserves to be a pub, but whether that can be enforced as part of the action, who knows.
"They might have it as some form of museum but whatever happens, I hope the public get to see The Crooked House restored to its former glory.
"A lot of people have been fighting for this day and it certainly looks like a step in the right direction. We'll see what happens from here."
Lee took on the pub at the beginning of September 2022 after working in pubs for over 25 years.
He added: "When we had the place, it was challenging but was certainly turning a corner. We were bringing back live music and food.
"When discussing with Marston's before taking over, I was informed that if it was ever sold, it would remain a pub and nothing could be done to the building or land.
"This played a massive part in me agreeing to take over, as my view was that even if it was sold, it would remain a pub and there would be a chance that I could stay on.
"Not one person has been to view the pub to purchase it, and so to then be told it had been sold, and be completely kept out of the loop came as a huge shock to myself.
"I loved running this pub, it was such an iconic building. It is awful to see what happened. Seeing the scenes of the fire and the bulldozing were upsetting."
HORROR BLAZE
Suspicion grew as the Crooked House pub in Himley, Staffs, was burnt down just days after it was sold.
The rest of the building was demolished without permission less than 48 hours later, prompting national outcry and calls for better protection for heritage pubs.
Three men, aged 33, 51, and 66, have since been arrested and bailed over the incident.
A woman, 34, and two men, aged 44 and 23, were also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered - they were also released on bail.
Lawyers began looking into potential breaches of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act after the demolition.
And it has been claimed the digger that flattened the charred ruins was hired before the blaze.
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Meanwhile, Leader of the Council, councillor Roger Lees, said: “A huge amount of time and resources have been put into investigating the unauthorised demolition of the Crooked House.
"We have had great support from the local community, our MPs and the Mayor of the West Midlands, and from the campaign group whose aim is to see the Crooked House back to its former glory which is the key objective of the Enforcement Notice."
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