Wonky 18th century pub, The Crooked House, mysteriously burns to the ground after new owners take over

[Sasaferrato]

Yep, and the sinking of that famous giant floating restaurant in Hong Kong just days after it left town headed to an 'undisclosed location'

Hong Kong: Iconic floating Jumbo restaurant sinks

The Jumbo restaurant capsized in the South China Sea days after it was towed out of the harbour.

www.bbc.co.uk

I ate in that one a couple of times.

 

[WouldBe]

Surely they’d need planning permission for whatever they’ve decided to replace it with which presumably the council could be awkward about?

Also need planning permission (or building control) to demolish a building.

Seems a bit odd if it wasn't listed that 'they' burnt it down to start with.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Also need planning permission (or building control) to demolish a building.

Seems a bit odd if it wasn't listed that 'they' burnt it down to start with.

Presumably ‘to make it safe’?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I mean they bulldozed it to make it safe after the fire. Not they set it on fire to make it safe.

 

[WouldBe]

I mean they bulldozed it to make it safe after the fire. Not they set it on fire to make it safe.

They could have just demolished it to start with without having to set fire to it first.

 

[platinumsage]

The fact it shamefully wasn't listed means they can basically do what they want. There is very little recourse in planning law, and any that there is will be outweighed by the profit they can potentially make on future development.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

There was an application submitted for it to be listed but done way too late. The horse had already bolted.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

The fact it shamefully wasn't listed means they can basically do what they want. There is very little recourse in planning law, and any that there is will be outweighed by the profit they can potentially make on future development.

It doesn’t mean that they can torch it. But yes, I take the point. Sadly the West Midlands has a shocking track record of preserving our historic public houses and cultural heritage buildings.

 

[platinumsage]

Should have been listed decades ago, it's wasn't rocket science. There are half a million listed buildings, most of which the average person working with heritage buildings can be reasonably expected to have never heard of if not bought to their attention. Not so with this one.

 

[Duncan2]

In the unlikely event that Andy Street got his way and the pub had to be rebuilt I would have thought that that would be a very difficult undertaking Had it not been bulldozed it rather looks as though the main structure could have been saved.Such a shame

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Would be amusing if whatever development (flats?) that replaces it also sank in to the mines below.

 

[Spymaster]

It's abundantly clear that the burned-out building was an arson crime scene.

Has it been investigated and that found to be he case?

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

If the site was bought recently surely the owner is in the Land Registry? Some journo must have checked by now, so perhaps it is some anonymous company registered overseas or something. But it seems odd we don't have a name yet.

Land Registry has a backlog, if it was bought recently, records unlikely to have been updated promptly.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

It's abundantly clear that the burned-out building was an arson crime scene. It's going to be very difficult to pin the arson on the developer, despite how obvious it is.

But, surely the demolition is of itself a separate crime? Namely obstructing a criminal investigation, deliberate interference with a crime scene, something along those lines? Much easier to prove, someone has operated the demolition machinery and I'm sure they won't want to take the fall for whoever gave the instruction.

It would depend. Following a fire, some buildings need to be demolished because they're unsafe. I guess it would depend whether the bulldozers moved in quickly before any engineers had assessed it and condemned it as unsafe and in need of demolition.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Has it been investigated and that found to be he case?

I believe so, there has been reported mentions of the fire started by burning tyres piled up behind the building.

Sure as hell passes the sniff test for arson though, doesn't it?

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

It would depend. Following a fire, some buildings need to be demolished because they're unsafe. I guess it would depend whether the bulldozers moved in quickly before any engineers had assessed it and condemned it as unsafe and in need of demolition.

The police would usually be involved in discussions though; not done anonymously in the night.

 

[Spymaster]

I believe so, there has been reported mentions of the fire started by burning tyres piled up behind the building.

Sure as hell passes the sniff test for arson though, doesn't it?

Well yes, but places do burn down accidentally too.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

And then swiftly bulldozed accidentally?

 

[editor]

I really really hope these fuckers are named and shamed and then compelled to put the thing back, brick by brick while the village comes out and pelts rotten fruit at them.

 

[platinumsage]

Has it been investigated and that found to be he case?

Perhaps some lads in a flatbed saw the meteorite hit and drove up to try and help, accidentally dumping their load of rubble as they navigated the tricky bridge. Feeling guilty, they fled the scene as the driver had smoked a joint that morning.

 

[Spymaster]

And then swiftly bulldozed accidentally?

Bulldozing it doesn't really make much sense. The insurers are unlikely to pay out if the cause of the fire can't be established and there's a whiff of impropriety. They'd want to see the results of an investigation.

 

[platinumsage]

Bulldozing it doesn't really make much sense. The insurers are unlikely to pay out if the cause of the fire can't be established and there's a whiff of impropriety. They'd want to see the results of an investigation.

They don't want the insurance money, they want a brownfield site with no structures on it.

 

[WouldBe]

Well yes, but places do burn down accidentally too.

Yes but how many accidental fires have the road deliberately blocked so the fire brigade can't get there?

 

[a_chap]

The tragic and extremely suspicious timeline:

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Even without evidence of foul play it completely stinks.

 

[Spymaster]

.

Yes but how many accidental fires have the road deliberately blocked so the fire brigade can't get there?

Yes, I get it but the whole thing seems perfectly designed to point the finger squarely at the owner. Every aspect of it screams "arson by owner", so much so that it makes me question it. It's a seriously incompetent job they've done, if indeed they have.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

.


Yes, I get it but the whole thing seems perfectly designed to point the finger squarely at the owner. Every aspect of it screams "arson by owner", so much so that it makes me question it. It's a seriously incompetent job they've done, if indeed they have.

It’s an interesting scenario that you propose. But it involves persons unknown torching the building, dumping soil to hinder the emergency services then hiring a JCB to finish the job all to point the blame to a mysterious owner who said they wanted a ‘change of use’ for the site.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

And of course the mystery owner could get a media exclusive where they’re outraged by the whole episode. But the silence is deafening.

 

[editor]

And of course the mystery owner could get a media exclusive where they’re outraged by the whole episode. But the silence is deafening.

If I'd just invested in a striking local landmark and then discovered that it had mysteriously caught fire in the middle of the night, roads had been blocked off to stop fire engines getting near and then some fucker had gone ahead and demolished it without my permission, I'd be extremely angry and demanding the police investigate. But, as you say, ne'er a peep!

 

[Magnus McGinty]

If I'd just invested in a striking local landmark and then discovered that it had mysteriously caught fire in the middle of the night, roads had been blocked off to stop fire engines getting near and then some fucker had gone ahead and demolished it without my permission, I'd be extremely angry and demanding the police investigate. But, as you say, ne'er a peep!

If I’d spent almost £700k on a property I’d definitely be keeping an eye out for errant mechanical machinery wanting to take a pop after arsonists had a go.