The owners of the Crooked House pub have been ordered to rebuild it exactly as it was.
South Staffordshire Council served an enforcement notice against ATE Farms, giving it three years to rebuild “Britain’s wonkiest inn” to how it stood before it was destroyed by fire and subsequent demolition.
The 18th century inn, which had garnered fans both locally and countrywide for its signature tilt, was ravaged by fire nine days after it was sold to new owners. The pub was knocked down by a 14-tonne excavator two days later.
Construction News previously revealed that plant hire company Lyndon Thomas had delivered the excavator used to demolish the building a week and a half before the fire, although the company said it was not involved in the demolition work.
The National Federation of Demolition Contractors said shortly after that “no respectable demolition contractor would carry out works in the manner seen in the pictures circulating in the media”.
In a statement, the council said it had engaged with the owners since the demolition but had “reached a point where formal action is considered necessary”.
Council leader Roger Lees said: “We have not taken this action lightly, but we believe that it is right to bring the owners, who demolished the building without consent, to account and we are committed to do what we can to get the Crooked House rebuilt.”
The owners have 30 days to appeal the enforcement notice. If the notice is appealed, the council will have to defend its decision to serve the enforcement notice to an independent planning inspector.
The council will be able to prosecute the pub’s owners if the the building is not rebuilt as specified within three years.
Between August and October last year, Staffordshire Police arrested six people in connection with the Crooked House blaze.
Three men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered. A further two men were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
