Black Country MP introduces heritage pub bill to prevent repeat of Crooked House tragedy

Kingswinford and South Staffordshire MP Mike Wood introduced the Heritage Public Houses Bill to Parliament, aiming to better protect heritage pubs like the Crooked House.

After presenting the Bill for its Second Reading, the MP stated that the new laws should ensure that an unforgivable wrong, like what happened to the Crooked House, is never allowed to occur again.

Mike Wood said: "What happened to the Crooked House in 2023 was completely unforgivable and resulted in the destruction of an icon of our local heritage overnight.

“Save The Crooked House campaigners and my former colleague Marco Longhi have done fantastic work trying to get the pub rebuilt, but we clearly need to go further and legislate to protect our heritage pubs and ensure that such a terrible loss never happens again.”

The Himley pub was burnt down and then flattened in the summer of 2023 sparking an outpouring of fury, upset and indignation the world over. However, the shocking crime galvanised the community to demand answers and vow to rebuild 'Britain's wonkiest pub'.

The Bill, titled the Heritage Public Houses Bill, will now proceed to its Second Reading on March 7, 2025.

This week Mr Wood spoke at length about the importance of pubs and called for the Government to help landlords survive what many are describing a tough trading conditions.

He told Parliament: "Pubs are a force for good socially, helping to tackle the scourge of loneliness and isolation. Few people could have failed to be moved by the advert for Charlie’s Bar last Christmas. It shows an elderly man walking from his house to his wife’s grave, raising his cap to passers-by, only to be blanked, but he finds comfort and companionship in his local in Fermanagh.

"Less well celebrated are the hundreds of initiatives up and down the country, such as the Go To Place at Love and Liquor in Codsall in my constituency, which brings 60 or more people together each Wednesday morning for a coffee, a chat and a bit of breakfast. Although we are all too familiar with the dangers of excess drinking, well-regulated and well-run pubs and bars are forces for good for our mental health."

He added: "Pubs and hospitality venues have, of course, faced a range of pressures over the past few decades, some of which have been referred to. Some are the results of changing consumer demands, preferences and social habits, but others have been exacerbated by policy decisions made here in Westminster and Whitehall, such as the smoking ban, high business rate bills, and alcohol duty rates that are significantly higher than most western European countries."