Crooked House owners appeal against enforcement notice ordering them to rebuild wonky pub
The owners of the Crooked House who were told to rebuild the famously wonky pub after it was destroyed last year have appealed against the enforcement notice.
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Last month, South Staffordshire Council served an enforcement notice on the owners of the former pub in Himley after the unlawful demolition of the building.
The notice, which was issued under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development Order 2015), ordered for the building to be rebuilt to the state it was in prior to a fire which destroyed it in August of last year.
It was demolished a couple of days after the fire.
The owners had 30 days to appeal the notice and the council has now confirmed that an appeal has been lodged.
The authority said it was now awaiting a date for the appeal hearing to be set and the appointment of a planning inspector.
A spokesman for South Staffordshire Council said: "The council served an enforcement notice for the unlawful demolition of the Crooked House on the owners on February 27.
"The owners had 30 days in which to appeal the notice and we have been advised that an appeal has now been lodged.
"We are now awaiting a date for the appeal and the appointment of a planning inspector.
"There is no further information available at this time and we will issue an update on our website on the Crooked House (sstaffs.gov.uk) as soon as we have more information."
The demolition of the Crooked House sparked a huge uprising by campaigners calling for it to be rebuilt 'brick by brick'.
A Facebook page called Save the Crooked House (Let’s Get it Rebuilt) has more than 37,000 members.
An application has also been lodged to list the site as an asset of community value.
Staffordshire Police, which is treating the blaze at the Crooked House as arson, has made six arrests in connection with the incident.
The iconic pub was mysteriously destroyed in a suspected arson attack just over a week after it was sold for a reported £675,000 to a buyer who reputedly wanted to change its use.
The building, which dates back to 1735, was changed from a farmhouse to a pub in 1830 and became a well-known tourist attraction due to the mining subsidence which caused one side of the building to be approximately four feet (1.2 m) lower than the other.
Famous for its wonky appearance and the sight of marbles appearing to roll up the bar, many people visited from far and wide to see it and it was a popular venue in the area for social functions.
