“The proposal locates a newly constructed Crooked House pub along with appropriate parking and landscaping further north off Crooked House Lane and as near to the highway junction with the Himley Road as [possible].”
The document also reveals the reasons the owners claim the former pub had to be fully demolished, even though council officers agreed only to the removal of three elements of the building in order to make it safe.
It says that after the officers left the site there were further issues and “it had not been foreseen that removal of the three elements instructed would render the remainder of the building unsafe”.
The document said: “Removal of the upper sections of the building took with it the steel tie-ins which rendered the remaining structure, in the contractor’s opinion, completely unsafe and at a high (and unacceptable risk) of collapse.
‘Media attention and public attendance’
“The council officers had left the land and … due to the amount of media attention and public attendance, a decision had to be taken quickly as to the immediate safety of the building.
“A decision was made with reference to the director of the appellant that in order to abate the risk, the mainstay of the remaining structure needed to be taken down.
“It was considered that there was a high risk of the building collapsing and causing serious injury or a fatality on the land given the entry on to the land by large numbers of people some of whom were conducting vigils and others removing bricks and other items as memorabilia / for sale.”
There document also reveals plans to build an education centre in the area which would link to local history and would partly include retirement lodges set within the existing woodland.
It adds: “In this regard, the appellant is in the process of preparing a detailed pre-application to be put to the council (and neighbouring authorities).”
‘Rebuild it brick by brick’
The demolition of the famous pub 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.
Staffordshire Police, which is treating the blaze at the Crooked House as arson, has also made six arrests in connection with the incident.
The iconic building, which dated back to 1735, was changed from a farmhouse to a pub in 1830 and was famous for its wonky appearance.
It 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.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
