Date set for Crooked House rebuild appeal

ATE Farms Limited had appealed against an enforcement notice ordering the company to rebuild the Crooked House pub

A date has been set for an appeal against an order to rebuild "Britain's wonkiest pub" after it was demolished last year following a suspected arson attack.

South Staffordshire Council served an enforcement notice in February to the owners of The Crooked House pub in Himley, near Dudley, ordering them to rebuild the pub.

An appeal was lodged against the enforcement order and the inquiry to decide the future of the famous pub will open at 10:00 BST on 23 July, with a venue yet to be decided, the authority said.

The enforcement notice was served to the owners of the pub, ATE Farms Limited, as well as the company's director, George Adam Taylor, and former director Carly Taylor, who stepped down in December.

The Crooked House, known for its sloping walls and floor, was demolished less than two days after the fire broke out

The leader of the council Roger Lees said: "I’m pleased we now have a firm date and officers will now be very busy preparing the paperwork for the hearing in July."

The reconstruction order would require the building to be restored back to what it was prior to the fire on 5 August last year.

The pub was demolished less than two days after the blaze.

Five men and one woman were arrested in connection with the fire, which the force was treating as arson, Staffordshire Police said.

All have been released on conditional bail.

People flocked to the site after the pub was demolished to pay their respects and express their anger

The 18th Century pub was a popular attraction in the region with visitors flocking to see the distinctive leaning building.

It was first built in 1765 as a farmhouse but due to mining in the area during the early 19th Century, one side of the building began to gradually sink.

The distinctive pub had been owned by Marston's PLC, but was put up for sale as part of a nationwide review by the Wolverhampton-based company. It was sold in July 2023 to ATE Farms Limited.