The owner of the Crooked House pub has been ordered to rebuild “Britain’s wonkiest inn” after it was destroyed last year in a suspected arson attack.

South Staffordshire Council has served an enforcement notice on the owner of the pub in Himley, near Dudley.

The council said it had engaged with the owner since the demolition (above) but had reached a point where formal action was considered necessary. It requires the building to be built back to what it was prior to the fire.

South Staffordshire Council leader Roger Lees said: “A huge amount of time and resources have been put into investigating the unauthorised demolition of the Crooked House.

“We have had great support from the local community, our MPs and the mayor of the West Midlands, and from the campaign group whose aim is to see the Crooked House back to its former glory which is the key objective of the enforcement notice.”

Lees said the authority had “not taken this action lightly” but it was “committed to do what we can to get the Crooked House rebuilt”.

CAMRA’s pub and club campaigns director Gary Timmins said: “The destruction of the Crooked House was a national tragedy, so it’s fantastic news that the owners have been ordered to rebuild the pub brick by brick. This is exactly what we were hoping to hear from South Staffordshire Council, and it’s a testament to the hard work of all the dedicated campaigners who stepped up and fought for the Crooked House. 

“It has also been great to see Marco Longhi MP and West Midlands mayor Andy Street champion this cause. It’s now vital that systematic change happens, to ensure that the Crooked House is the last time we see such a shocking loss. Unfortunately, CAMRA is still investigating eight from 2023 where pubs appear to have been demolished or converted without apparent planning permission. We’re calling for government to bolster planning policy so that unscrupulous developers know they will face action if they breach the law.” 

The historic pub burned down a fortnight after it was sold in August last year and its owner now has three years to restore it.