On Saturday 5 August 2023, the Staffordshire venue, known as Britain’s ‘wonkiest pub’, burnt down in a suspected arson attack and was subsequently demolished.
Six people were arrested in connection with the fire after a police investigation, but have since been bailed and released under investigation pending further enquiries.
Following the blaze, CAMRA and local campaigners called for the Crooked House to be rebuilt ‘brick by brick’ and urged the Government to act against “unscrupulous developers” with strong enforcement laws put in place to protect the pubs. C
Calls for action
In the wake of the one-year anniversary of the incident, CAMRA has repeated its calls for action to make sure it “never happens again”.
According to the consumer organisation, 260 pubs were lost forever in 2023 due to “conversion or demolition”.
Last year, CAMRA joined forces with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to ensure pubs of value that are at risk are properly protected through a public ‘List your Local’ campaign.
Tragic story
Meanwhile earlier this year, Dudley South MP Marco Longhi, presented the Heritage Pubs Bill to the House of Commons, which was also spurred by the destruction of the Crooked House pub and aims to better protect community pubs.
CAMRA pub campaigns director Gary Timmins said: “A year after the loss of the Crooked House, the pain felt by locals and campaigners is still just as fresh.
“In August last year, I wrote to Housing and Planning Minister, asking for central Government to take action to deter unscrupulous developers and ensure illegally demolished pubs are rebuilt ‘brick by brick’.
“A year later, our aims and our dedication have not changed. We want there to be a happy ending to this tragic story and to see other pubs protected.”
