Crooked House owners propose rebuild in different location

The owners of The Crooked House have proposed to rebuild it in a new location, after it was handed a rebuild order by South Staffordshire Council.

ATE Farms demolished the iconic pub days after it was set on fire in a suspected arson attack last August. It has since appealed against the rebuild order and an inquiry will begin on July 23.

In appeal documents, ATE Farms says that the current site is “not viable” and therefore proposes the rebuild in on land that the firm owns nearby to increase its “chance of success as a community asset”.

“In its current location, should it be rebuilt, there is no doubt that there would be a huge amount of interest in the first few months, however, this does not translate to continued and sustained interest to make the building work as a pub going forward,” they said.

The owners have proposed to rebuild the Crooked House on land north of Crooked House Lane, as a lack of footfall was caused due to its remote location. 

The Crooked House, which was originally built in 1765, was sold by Marstons to a “private buyer for alternative use” in August and was “unlikely to open its doors again”.

But the landmark caught fire days later in a suspected arson attack and was then demolished by ATE Farms two days after the blaze, all whilst police said an investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing. Six people have since been arrested in connection with the fire and remain on bail. 

ATE Farms is registered to the same address as Himley Environmental – the company that runs the quarry and landfill next to the site.