Crooked House boss's company goes bust with debts of £1.2 million
Himley Environmental, linked to the destruction of The Crooked House pub, has gone into liquidation with over £1.2 million in debts, including £679,616 owed to the Environment Agency.
A company linked to the unauthorised demolition of Britain's wonkiest pub has gone bust with debts of more than £1.2 million.
Himley Environmental operated a landfill site next to The Crooked House, which was destroyed in a suspected arson attack in August 2023.
The company was controlled by Adam Taylor, who is sole director of the firm which bought the Crooked House from pub group Marston's that same year.
At the time of the blaze, the landfill was said to be connected to a ongoing "feud" with brewery bosses over access to the site in Himley, near Dudley, West Mids.
It has now been put into voluntary liquidation following court action over environmental breaches.
In October, the Environment Agency (EA) obtained an injunction against the firm over a risk of pollution and to human health on the land.
A final statement of affairs issued by the liquidator showed that the company had debts totalling £1,222,312 - including £679,616 owed to the Environment Agency.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: "Himley Environmental Ltd has entered liquidation and is in debt to the Environment Agency for £679,616.53.
"This amount is made up of a shortfall in financial provision, required to hold a landfill permit, annual subsistence fees, and ongoing legal costs for both landfill sites at Oak Farm Quarry.
“While we are not accountable for the landfill sites, we remain committed to working with landowners and the local authority to assess the ongoing risks from the sites and if necessary, we can use discretionary powers to remove risks of any serious pollution."
A judge ordered the company to comply with a series of enforcement notices relating to the management of gases and surface water, the monitoring of soil contamination, and site security.
At the time of the injunction, a spokesman for the Environment Agency said landfill gas was freely escaping into the atmosphere, and the site was also insecure, 'posing a significant risk of pollution and potential harm to human health'.
The company was previously run by Mr Taylor, who is now sole director of ATE Farms, which bought the 258-year-old Crooked House shortly before it was set alight by arsonists.
ATE Farms demolished the gutted pub hours after the fire, without permission from the planning authority.
Mr Taylor's wife Carly was also a director, before she stepped down from the firm last December.
South Staffordshire Council ordered ATE Farms to rebuild the pub, but the company has appealed and is awaiting a hearing.
The appeal was due to have been heard last month, but was postponed at the request of the company pending a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire.
The pub, which dated back to 1765, was famous around the world as 'Britain's wonkiest pub' due to the mining subsidence which left it 4ft lower on the one side than the other.
Six people – a 66-year-old man from Dudley, a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes, a 51-year-old man from Buckingham, a 34-year woman, a 44-year-old man and a 23-year-old man, all from Leicestershire – were arrested over the weeks following the fire.
They have since been released without charge while the investigation continues.