There’s outrage over an attempt by the owners of Britain’s one-time “wonkiest” pub to fight against an order for its reconstruction. ATE Farms Ltd, which acquired the Crooked House just nine days before it succumbed to a devastating blaze, has initiated legal action against the mandate to restore the pub to its former slanted glory.
Campaigners are incensed, arguing caving in to the appeal would ridicule the concept of pub preservation across the UK. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is pushing for “tighter, stronger planning policies and a requirement in law to rebuild pubs brick-by-brick”, with the appeal described as “insulting”.
The iconic 18th-century establishment, located near Dudley in the West Midlands, was known far and wide as a tourist hotspot due to its severe tilt — a result of mining subsidence — leaving one side of the building approximately 4ft lower than the other. Just a short while before being engulfed in flames and subsequently “unlawfully” torn down in August 2023, the Mirror reports the Crooked House had changed hands from Marston’s brewery to ATE, owned at that time by ex-nail technician Carly Taylor.
The sale price of the pub was listed at £675,000. Currently under the management of Carly’s spouse, Adam Taylor, 45, who holds shares and previously directed Himley Environmental Ltd, a landfill business operating adjacent to the pub’s old site, ATE is contesting the council’s decision.
Attention now turns to the upcoming hearing for Adam Taylor’s company, scheduled at South Staffordshire Council’s offices in Codsall on March 11. The South Staffordshire Council, a Tory bastion, issued an enforcement notice last February, instructing ATE Farms to reconstruct the renowned establishment after its “unlawful demolition”.
The Mirror discovered that state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology might be employed in rebuilding efforts — as was the case with the Elephant and Castle pub. Yet, ATE’s recent appeal has stirred discontent among locals.
CAMRA’s pubs and clubs director, Gary Timmins, remarked: “The appeal requested by the owners of the Crooked House, ATE Farms Limited, was expected but no less insulting. Accountability must be taken for the complete destruction of this iconic pub, and this hearing undermines South Staffordshire Council’s enforcement notice to rebuild it.
“The Crooked House in Himley was destroyed more than 18 months ago, and this appeal delays a much-needed outcome. The UK’s wonkiest pub needs to be rebuilt, back to what it was prior to the fire, as ordered by South Staffordshire Council.
“If this appeal leads to this decision being reversed, it would be a complete mockery of pub protection and campaigning efforts from the local community. The Crooked House saga lifted the lid on the wider scandal of potentially unlawful pub conversions and demolitions across the UK, and we continue to demand tighter, stronger planning policies and a requirement in law to rebuild pubs brick-by-brick.”
The enforcement notice details the materials required to reconstruct the property, known for its slanted walls and floor due to mining subsidence in the area. The council has set a three-year deadline for the building’s reconstruction.
Staffordshire Police have made six arrests related to the fire, which is being treated as arson. Five men aged 23, 33, 44, 51 and 66, along with a 34-year-old woman were arrested between August and October and are currently on conditional bail.
The police investigation continues, a spokesperson for the force confirmed to MailOnline today.