Owners of Crooked House pub blasted as they fight to stop boozer being rebuilt

The Crooked House was a beloved 18th period alehouse successful Himley, adjacent Dudley successful the West Midlands, which was destroyed successful a devastating occurrence successful August 2023

An entreaty by the owners of the Crooked House against an bid to rebuild Britain's erstwhile "wonkiest" boozer has been slammed arsenic "insulting".

ATE Farms Ltd bought the alehouse 9 days earlier it was destroyed successful a devastating fire and has present launched a conflict against the bid to person it restored to its erstwhile wonky glory.

Furious campaigners accidental if the determination is reversed, the entreaty would marque "a implicit mockery of pub protection" successful the UK. Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) wants "tighter, stronger readying policies and a request successful instrumentality to rebuild pubs brick-by-brick".

The Crooked House, which was successful Himley, adjacent Dudley successful the West Midlands, was torched and past "unlawfully" demolished successful August 2023. The famed 18th period alehouse was a well-known tourer attraction owed to the mining subsidence which had caused 1 broadside of the gathering to beryllium astir 4ft (1.2 m) little than the other.

The gathering had been sold by brewer Marston's to ATE, which astatine the clip was controlled by erstwhile nail technician Carly Taylor, little than a fortnight earlier. The pub had been listed for merchantability for £675,000.

ATE is present tally by Carly's hubby Adam, 45, who is shareholder and erstwhile manager of Himley Environmental Ltd which runs a onshore capable tract adjacent to wherever the pub sat. A proceeding for his company's entreaty has been scheduled astatine South Staffordshire Council's offices successful Codsall connected March 11.

The section authority, a Tory stronghold, served an enforcement announcement past February, ordering owners ATE Farms to rebuild the iconic venue pursuing its "unlawful demolition". The Mirror recovered precocious 3D scanning exertion could beryllium utilized successful the mammoth process - arsenic was the lawsuit to resurrect the Elephant and Castle pub, a fashionable alehouse successful adjacent Wolverhampton successful conscionable 18 months.

But ATE's entreaty this week has sparked anger. Gary Timmins, pubs and clubs manager for CAMRA, said: "The entreaty requested by the owners of the Crooked House, ATE Farms Limited, was expected but nary little insulting."

He added: "Accountability indispensable beryllium taken for the implicit demolition of this iconic pub, and this proceeding undermines South Staffordshire Council's enforcement announcement to rebuild it. The Crooked House successful Himley was destroyed much than 18 months ago, and this entreaty delays a much-needed outcome.

"The UK's wonkiest pub needs to beryllium rebuilt, backmost to what it was anterior to the fire, arsenic ordered by South Staffordshire Council. If this entreaty leads to this determination being reversed, it would beryllium a implicit mockery of pub extortion and campaigning efforts from the section community.

"The Crooked House saga lifted the lid connected the wider ungraded of perchance unlawful pub conversions and demolitions crossed the UK, and we proceed to request tighter, stronger readying policies and a request successful instrumentality to rebuild pubs brick-by-brick."

The enforcement announcement specifies the materials which indispensable beryllium utilized to rebuild the property, famed for its sloping walls and level which were caused by mining subsidence successful the area. The assembly acceptable a three-year compliance deadline for the gathering to beryllium rebuilt.

Staffordshire Police has truthful acold made six arrests successful transportation with the blaze, which it is treating arsenic arson. The 5 men aged 23, 33, 44, 51 and 66, and a 34-year-old pistillate were arrested betwixt August and October and stay connected conditional bail. The constabulary probe is ongoing, a spokesperson for the unit confirmed to MailOnline today.