Demolition of Crooked House pub unacceptable - council

The demolition of a landmark pub pursuing a occurrence was unacceptable and perchance unlawful, a assembly has said.

The 18th Century Crooked House, adjacent Dudley, erstwhile known arsenic "Britain's wonkiest pub", was gutted by occurrence connected Saturday and demolished connected Monday.

Potential breaches of the Town and Planning Act are being investigated, said South Staffordshire Council.

The section authorization has referred the substance to its ineligible squad with a presumption to taking enforcement action.

Officers had visited the tract and agreed a programme of works with the landowner's representative, the person of the assembly said.

"At nary constituent did the assembly hold the demolition of the full operation nor was this deemed necessary."

The mode the concern was managed pursuing the occurrence was "completely unacceptable and contrary to instructions provided by our officers", said Roger Lees.

And helium added the Health and Safety Executive had been notified.

The authority's probe was astatine an aboriginal stage, helium said, and asked for clip to guarantee immoderate aboriginal actions were "meaningful and proportionate".

"The assembly is incredibly saddened by the nonaccomplishment of the gathering which, whilst not listed, was a practice plus and important landmark to the section country and community."

Fire gutted the celebrated leaning gathering connected Saturday night, leaving conscionable the exterior standing.

Staffordshire Police and the occurrence work are trying to found the cause.

It was built arsenic a farmhouse but started to subside during the aboriginal 19th Century, acknowledgment to mining successful the area.

Later it became a pub radical often went to to witnesser the illusion of coins and marbles appearing to rotation uphill on the bar.

But connected Monday afternoon, residents and erstwhile customers gathered astatine the tract to spot a ample heap of rubble wherever the inn erstwhile stood.

A video shared connected societal media showed a digger knocking down the building.

In March, erstwhile proprietor Marston's listed it for merchantability with a usher terms of £675,000.

The merchantability of the spot "as a going concern" was completed 2 weeks ago, said the company. The individuality of the buyer, based successful Warwickshire, has not been revealed.

Speculation into the origin of the occurrence was "not adjuvant astatine this time", said Staffordshire Police.

"We recognize the spot of feeling successful the assemblage is precocious astatine this infinitesimal and the sadness felt amongst those who person a beardown affectional attachment to this place," said Ch Insp Chris Cotton.

On Monday a constabulary cordon was enactment successful place. But owed to the "unsafe structure" of the building, officers were told to permission the site, helium said.

"Since then, the country has been successful the attraction of the landowners and the gathering has since been demolished."

The unit encouraged anyone with accusation to travel forward.

Conservative MP for South Staffordshire Sir Gavin Williamson said helium shared concerns and frustrations of residents regarding the demolition.

He tweeted helium had called for a gathering for police, occurrence and assembly representatives to update him.

In the meantime, the politician of the West Midlands has called for the gathering to beryllium rebuilt "brick by brick".

Andy Street said helium had asked South Staffordshire Council to guarantee the pub was rebuilt "and immoderate effort to alteration its usage blocked".

"We volition not fto the Crooked House beryllium consigned to history," helium said.

"We judge that large pubs person immense taste and humanities worth present successful the West Midlands and we should beryllium taking steps to support and sphere their heritage."

A assemblage gathering to mourn the nonaccomplishment of the pub is owed to beryllium held astatine the tract aboriginal connected Tuesday.