Crooked House owners propose rebuilding pub ‘on other land it owns’

The owners of the Crooked House in Himley have put forward plans to rebuild the pub in a different location after the council issued an enforcement notice.

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.

Five men and one woman were arrested in connection with the fire and remain on conditional bail.

South Staffordshire Council served the enforcement notice for the “unlawful demolition of the building”, which is being treated as arson, at the end of February.

The owners (ATE Farms) lodged an appeal against the council’s order to rebuild the pub “to what it was prior to the fire” on 28 March.

ATE Farms said in appeal documents the building “was not viable” in its current location.

It stated: “Marston's, the previous owners, had sold the building as they could not make it work as a pub. The appellant believes that the location of the building and lack of footfall is key to this.

“Requiring a re-build in the same location, whilst reflective of popular opinion, will not change the fact that the building in that location is not viable as a public house.”

ATE Farms stressed the new location for the rebuilt Crooked House, which would be on “other land that it owns”, would give the property “a real chance of success as a community asset”.

Under its proposals, the newly constructed Crooked House would be situated further north of Crooked House Lane and “as near to the highway junction with the Himley Road as would allow”.

ATE Farms reiterated it “was not in any way responsible for the start of the fire”, and added: “The fire was either due to entirely accidental causes or possibly a deliberate arson attack by a third party or a fire lit by an unknown trespasser which got out of control.”

The hearing of the appeal against South Staffordshire Council has been scheduled to take place in July.

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