Pub protection Bill inspired by Crooked House stalls

A proposed law brought forward after the demise of the Crooked House pub has failed to progress through Parliament after a Commons debate ran out of time.

The famously wonky pub in Himley, Staffordshire, caught fire in August 2023, and was demolished in the immediate aftermath, sparking an outcry in the local community.

Conservative MP Mike Wood said his Heritage Public Houses Bill would have given heritage pubs extra protection from redevelopment and helped keep them in community hands.

The private member's Bill was debated for more than five hours on Friday but did not reach a vote before the parliamentary cut-off time.

Wood, the MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, said the outcome meant historic pubs remained vulnerable to the same fate as the Crooked House.

The 258-year-old building, near Dudley, famous for its sloping floors and optical illusions caused by mining subsidence, caught fire weeks after it had been sold by pub chain Marston's.

Its demolition two days later sparked outrage and became one of the highest-profile heritage disputes in recent years.

Staffordshire Council later ordered the pub to be rebuilt brick-by-brick, although that decision has been appealed by the site's owners, ATE Farms Ltd.

A police investigation into the fire and demolition remains ongoing, with a file having been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service. No charges have yet been brought.

Introducing the Bill, Wood said Parliament should not leave "the door wide open for the next historic pub to be bulldozed on a Sunday night".

He told MPs: "Nothing we do today can undo the heartbreak felt across my constituency and the wider region when the Crooked House fell, but by passing this Bill we can ensure that its enduring legacy is a legal shield that protects every beloved historic pub across England for generations to come."

Under the proposals, councils would have been required to identify heritage pubs in their areas, with communities given more time and stronger rights to buy them if they were put up for sale.

The buildings would also have been granted additional planning protections, similar to those afforded to listed buildings.

Campaign group the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) described the failure of the Bill as "an absolute disgrace".

Camra's national planning policy adviser, Paul Ainsworth, said: "It's been three years since the demolition of the iconic Crooked House in Himley, and we can't allow losses of any further heritage pubs in such circumstances."

Wood accused Labour MPs of deliberately talking out the Bill to prevent a vote taking place.

Speaking afterwards, he said: "The government lined up their MPs to talk out the Bill and then voted to make sure that there wasn't a vote."

However, Labour MP Sarah Hall argued existing measures already protected valued pubs through the Asset of Community Value scheme and national planning policy.

She told MPs: "The current policies already act as an important safeguard. So creating another legal requirement will not necessarily produce a better practical outcome."

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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