Crooked House Owners Face Backlash Over Rebuild Order Appeal

The Crooked House inquiry is delayed. This famous wonky pub burned down back in August 2023. Two days later, they demolished it completely. People were very angry about this.

The council told the owners, ATE Farms, to rebuild. They had three years to do it. CAMRA wanted them to rebuild it brick by brick. ATE Farms appealed this order in High Court. They didn’t want a public inquiry just yet.

The hearing was supposed to be next month. However, the High Court suggested a delay. The council feels frustrated by this news. The council explained this delay is out of their hands. The inquiry must wait for the police to finish their work.

Police are investigating the fire as a possible arson. The council shared their disappointment. They had worked hard to prepare for the inquiry. They defended their rebuild order. They said they exhausted all options to proceed.

Mark Evans said the delay is frustrating. The council wanted to hold the inquiry this spring. Now, it must wait for any criminal case to conclude. Evans knows people are disappointed. The loss of the Crooked House saddened many.

He assured people they will do everything they can. They want to move forward when they can. Police arrested six people after the fire. All six people got released on bail. The investigation is still ongoing. The council is determined to get answers.