On the anniversary of the Crooked House pub being destroyed by fire, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is calling for action to make sure this never happens again.
The incident shone a light on the number of unlawful demolitions that take place across the UK. CAMRA is urging the government to act against unscrupulous developers. It wants strong enforcement laws put in place.
In 2023, 260 pubs were lost forever due to conversion or demolition. Reports from CAMRA volunteers across the country show that many pubs continue to be demolished or converted without apparent planning permission. These include at least 10 in the six months in the run-up to demolition of the Crooked House, and a further 29 in England since.
“A year after the loss of the Crooked House, the pain felt by locals and campaigners is still just as fresh,” said Gary Timmins, CAMRA’s pub campaigns director.
“In August last year, I wrote to the housing and planning minister, asking for central government to take action to deter unscrupulous developers and ensure that illegally demolished pubs are rebuilt ‘brick by brick’.
“A year later, our aims and our dedication have not changed. We want there to be a happy ending to this tragic story and to see other pubs protected.”
In the wake of the Crooked House scandal, CAMRA has revealed a number of other pubs lost to fire in suspicious circumstances.
- The Burn Bullock, Mitcham: A grade II listed pub closed in September 2009. It was badly damaged by fire in April 2024. Residents accused the investment company of neglecting the building and taking insufficient security measures and had called on the council to compulsorily purchase it. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
- The Kingstanding pub, Birmingham: This was gutted by fire in 2019. Two years later plans were submitted and later approved to demolish and replace it with a Lidl store.
- The Bagot Arms, Erdington: The pub closed in 2018 and was ravaged by fire in August 2021. The fire service considered it had been started deliberately. In 2022, planning permission was granted to demolish the remains and build housing on the site.
Bubbabrew (6% ABV) is the latest addition to Brew Toon’s tuck shop series. The thick, juicy bubblegum sour comes in three varieties: blueberry, strawberry, and tutti frutti.
There’s a new release of Wild Horse’s Fatlamp (5.4% ABV). Brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Waimea hops, Fatlamp is a full-bodied hazy pale, balancing flavours of tropical fruit, citrus, and pine ahead of a firmly bitter finish.
