The owners of The Crooked House pub have been ordered to rebuild ‘Britain’s wonkiest inn’ after it was destroyed last year in a suspected arson attack, as South Staffordshire Council has served an enforcement notice on the owners of the pub in Himley, near Dudley, having ‘reached a point where formal action is considered necessary.’
image for illustration: By Peter Broster – Crooked House, Dudley CC BY 2.0
… The Crooked House was not a listed building, but was a non-designated heritage asset…
South Staffordshire Council writes:
The council has today, 27 February, served an Enforcement Notice on the owners of the Crooked House.
The enforcement notice is for the unlawful demolition of the building which is a breach of planning control under paragraph B.1(c) of Part 11 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.
The council has engaged with the owners since the demolition but has reached a point where formal action is considered necessary.
In summary
- The enforcement notice is for the unlawful demolition of the building, which is a breach of planning control under paragraph B.1(c) of Part 11 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.
- It requires the building to be built back to what it was prior to the fire.
- The notice specifies the materials etc which must be used to rebuild the building.
- The notice is served on the 27 February 2024.
- The time for compliance is 3 years from 27 February 2024.
- The notice can be appealed within 30 days. If the notice is appealed an Independent Planning Inspector will hear the case and the council will have to defend the serving of the notice.
- If the notice is not appealed and not complied with within the time limit it will be considered that an offence has been committed and the council can prosecute for failure to comply with the notice.
There is no further information available at this time…
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.
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.
The land is in private ownership, so making it secure is the responsibility of the site owners.
There are public rights of way running through the site, and Staffordshire County Council has extended the emergency closure notice on them for 6 months from September 23, 2023 for health and safety purposes.
We have put a blanket Tree Preservation Order on trees adjoining the site to ensure their protection.
The Crooked House was not a listed building, but was a non-designated heritage asset, registered on the Historic Environment Record as a building of local importance.
We are liaising with multiple agencies, and with local MPs and the Mayor of the West Midlands.
As stated at the beginning of the investigation, this will be a long process and the council needs time to investigate properly and take appropriate action. We will provide updates to this page when we are able to release information, however if you do need to contact the council please direct enquiries to planningservicesfeedback@sstaffs.gov.uk Please be aware that it may not be possible to provide an immediate response dependent on the volume of enquiries we receive.
Council statements:
Download the enforcement notice
For more background see BBC News
