Crooked House demolished: West Midlands Mayor calls for the council to rebuild iconic ‘wonkiest pub’

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has spoken out after The Crooked House was demolished following the devastating fire over the weekend that reduced it to a shell.

Mayor Street has urged South Staffordshire Council to rebuild the iconic building - constructed in 1765 as a farmhouse and later converted into a pub after it began to sink due to mining in the area. Mayor Street said The Crooked House should be replaced ‘brick by brick’. The name of the private landowner is not public.

In a statement with Night Time Economy Advisor and Birmingham restaurateur Alex Claridge he said: “We will not let The Crooked House be confined to history.” He added: “We believe that great pubs have immense cultural and historical value here in the West Midlands - and we should be taking steps to protect and preserve their heritage. The reaction of so many of you to the tragic fire at The Crooked House tells us we’re not alone. We’re on it.”

South Staffordshire Council Leader Roger Lees reponded saying that they had visited the site with the landowner and did not agree to the demolition of the entire building - only for the first-floor front elevation for safety reasons. Cllr Lees said: “At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure nor was this deemed necessary.” You can read the full statement below.

Mayor Street’s statement comes as Staffordshire Police released a statement urging anyone with information about the fire to contact them.

The force explained that the building was pulled down after Staffordshire firefighters and officers handed the building back to the landowners. Chief Inspector Chris Cotton said: “A cordon was in place temporarily whilst we carried out enquiries at the scene, but, due to the unsafe structure of the building, officers were pulled back and the scene was stood down.

“Since then, the area has been in the care of the landowners and the building has since been demolished. We are progressing a number of lines of enquiry alongside South Staffordshire Council and continue to ask anyone with any information to get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

‘We understand people are concerned about what happened’

Ch Insp Cotton also said: : “We understand the strength of feeling in the community is high at this moment and the sadness felt amongst those who have a strong emotional attachment to this place. We recognise the cultural heritage and significance of the building within communities in the area and we understand that people are concerned about what happened over the last few days.

“I’d like to reiterate that speculation into the cause of the fire is not helpful at this time. Officers have been working hard to examine all of the evidence available and continue to speak to members of the public who have been forthcoming with information which can help our investigation. We understand that the community has a vested interest in this incident. We are doing everything we can to progress our lines of enquiry and review the evidence available to progress the investigation.”

‘This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers’

After the devastating fire and demolition at the former site of the Crooked House, South Staffordshire Council leader Cllr Roger Lees issued the following statement: “Our officers carried out a site visit to the site yesterday (August 7th), prior to the demolition of the building.

“Officers agreed a programme of works with the landowner’s representative to ensure the safety of the building and the wider site. The agreed course of action included the removal of three elements of the first-floor front elevation only. This was only to avoid the weak parts of the structure from falling.

“At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure nor was this deemed necessary. This council finds the manner in which the situation was managed following the fire completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers.

“As such, we are currently investigating potential breaches of both the Town and Country Planning Act and the Buildings Act. Demolition of a building should be carried out in accordance with Schedule 2 Part 11 Class B of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. The steps required by the legislation were not carried out in this case.

“We have referred these matters to our legal team with a view to taking enforcement action. As soon as we were made aware of the breaches during the demolition, we notified the Health and Safety Executive. We are also liaising with many other relevant statutory bodies, including Historic England, the police and fire services, amongst others. These bodies will take the lead on investigating the issues surrounding the fire, safety of the unauthorised demolition and securing the ongoing safety of the site.

“Our own investigation is in its early stages and whilst it continues at pace, we as ask for time to consider the facts thoroughly to ensure any future actions are meaningful and proportionate. The council is incredibly saddened by the loss of the building which, whilst not listed, was a heritage asset and important landmark to the local area and community. Over recent months, the council had been in conversation with the relevant national bodies regarding how best to protect and preserve this important heritage asset.”

What should I do if I have information about the fire at The Crooked House?

Anyone with any information, particularly those with footage from the area over the last few days or prior to the incident are urged to get in touch with Staffordshire Police. You can call officers on 101, quoting incident 761 of 5 August, or message them using Live Chat on the Staffordshire Police website. To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 11