News

Crooked House bricks to stay on site

23 August 2023 By Louis Thomas

South Staffordshire Council has announced that The Crooked House’s foundations and bricks will remain on the site of what was once the wonky Black Country boozer.

The fate of The Crooked House pub captured the hearts and minds of the public. The pub, described as the wonkiest in the UK, was put up for sale by Marston’s Brewery in the spring, it then emerged earlier this summer that the new owners did not intend to keep it as a pub. Within weeks, a mysterious fire swept through the 18th century structure, and a demolition crew soon arrived to knock down the skew-whiff walls that were still standing.

Much has been made in the national press of the circumstances surrounding the pub’s destruction, and the fire is being investigated as arson by Staffordshire Police. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) chairman Nik Antona described the incident as a “nationwide scandal” and a “tragedy”. There have been protests, including those earlier this week, and calls to rebuild the pub brick by brick.

It has now been made clear that South Staffordshire Council has reached an agreement with the contractors currently on the site to keep said bricks, as well as the foundations and slabs, where they are in order to aid investigations into the fire. A statement issued yesterday (22 August) read: “The council is not the enforcing authority for the health and safety of the works on site. This responsibility lies with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and concerns about site management will be dealt with by them.”

“As the local planning authority, the council has been engaging with the site owners and contractors to understand the scope of works proposed on site. We are very pleased that we now have agreement that the bricks will remain on site, and that the foundations and slabs will remain to assist our future investigation. This is a positive step and the council continues to engage with the site owners, contractor, HSE, police and other partners to ensure the site is made safe from hazardous substances.”

“However, this means that there will be activity on site over coming days to remove hazardous waste and to make the site safe, and this will be closely monitored,” it continued. “The council is undertaking a thorough and active investigation and is committed to working with partners using the legal powers available to us. It is extremely important that the council acts prudently and judiciously so that any legal or enforcement action is effective and future action is not prejudiced. As was stated at the beginning of the investigation, this will be a long process and the council needs time to investigate properly and take appropriate action.”

There has been a spate of people selling bricks supposedly from the rubble of the pub for up to £50.