Crooked House campaigner welcomes MP heritage bill

The Crooked House was demolished two days after a fire gutted the building

A campaigner hoping to see The Crooked House pub rebuilt has welcomed an MP's bill proposing tougher protections after fly-tipped rubbish was found dumped at the site.

The 18th Century inn at Himley, near Dudley, was renowned as Britain's "wonkiest" pub, but was demolished days after a fire gutted it in August 2023.

Kingswinford and South Staffordshire MP Mike Wood's Heritage Public Houses bill picks up similar proposals from former Conservative colleague Marco Longhi.

Amanda Inkersole, who worked at the pub for 10 years, said: "It's great to know that somebody has taken over [Marco's] mantle."

Crooked House campaigner Amanda Inkersole found a "disgusting" mound of fly-tipped rubbish when she went to check the site on Sunday

Mr Wood, who presented his private member's bill on 21 October, said: "This is about... making sure this stays on the agenda and actually getting the protection that these important heritage pubs really need."

The bill would require local authorities to maintain a register of heritage pubs in their area and place restrictions on their sale.

"[It would] make sure that firstly, when pubs are being sold, a heritage pub, that the pub trade gets the first refusal so where possible they stay open as pubs," Mr Wood said.

"[And] if that's in doubt, to give time for the community to step in to see if the community can buy it."

The MP said the bill would also give automatic interim protection to buildings being considered for listed status.

It will proceed to its second reading on 7 March.

Mike Wood wants to make it easier to give planning protections to heritage pubs like The Crooked House

A public inquiry to decide whether The Crooked House's owners should rebuild has been postponed until spring 2025.

Meanwhile, Ms Inkersole, who lives in Gornal, said "disgusting" fly-tipping on the path to the former pub meant she could not reach it on Sunday.

"I sporadically go down and check the site," she said. "I couldn't get past that mound of rubbish because it was just disgusting".

She said the lane had always been used for fly-tipping, but the mounds of black bags spilling refuse and discarded bed parts were "particularly bad".

Sharing the pictures with other campaigners on Facebook, she wrote: "Can't wait for the appeal next year to finally get something done."

She added her mother, brother and niece had all worked at the pub, meaning it held "a lot of memories for us as a family".

South Staffordshire Council said the fly-tipping was on private land and it was engaging with the landowner to encourage them to remove it.

Ms Inkersole said the dumped rubbish was "particularly bad" on Sunday

Five men and one woman arrested on suspicion of arson were released from bail in July but remain under investigation as inquiries continue.