Crooked House pub public right of way path closed over safety concerns
The public right of way running through the grounds of the Crooked House has been closed for safety reasons.
A spokesperson for Staffordshire County Council said: “The safety of the general public is our top priority, and due to the unsafe nature of the site at the Crooked House we have temporarily closed a public right of way running through it on safety grounds.
“We are continuing to work with all agencies involved in this issue to ensure the path is opened as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The pub burned down just two weeks after it was sold by pub company Marston’s to a private buyer.
The loss of the pub, built in the 18th century, prompted a wave of anger from politicians, local residents and former regulars.
It was destroyed just two weeks after it was sold by pub company Marston’s to a private buyer, which is understood to be ATE Farms Limited.
The Mayor of the West Midlands says he remains “laser-focused” on rebuilding the historic Crooked House pub, following a meeting with South Staffordshire Council on Thursday.
In a statement shared today, Andy Street said the authority "will not let this lie and have a plan in place".
Staffordshire Police have since confirmed it is treating the fire as arson, but no arrests have yet been made.
Detectives investigating say they are continuing to work through a number of lines of enquiry.A CCTV trawl, forensics and witness accounts are being worked through as they try to piece together the circumstances which led to the fire.Police say that speculation about people being arrested has been going around, but this is not the case currently.Police have said they would like to provide further reassurance that the building was not demolished while under police control. Following the conclusion of the examination by fire investigators, the site was released back to the owner.Prior to this, South Staffordshire Council officers met with the landowner to ensure that the site was left safe.
Police said advice was offered to the landowner to partially remove some elements of the building with the purpose of making the building safe. They also said advice was offered to use fencing and security staff to maintain the security of the site.As the site had been returned to the landowner a police presence was no longer required on the site.South Staffordshire Council is now conducting an investigation into the subsequent demolition of the entire building, without appropriate permissions.