West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has unveiled his battle plan to protect the region’s heritage for future generations – including listings dozens more cherished pubs, following the destruction of the Crooked House.
Andy made the announcement as he visited the Queen’s Head, in Stourbridge, one of a number of pubs to have been included in the innovative ‘List Your Local’ scheme he launched after the devastating demolition of the Crooked House in Himley, near Dudley following a suspected arson attack.
And the Mayor promised to continue fighting for the famous Black Country boozer to be rebuilt ‘brick by brick’ – after its owners were ordered to restore it by council chiefs.
He also unveiled a series of policies designed to protect the region’s heritage, including:
- Broker a new plan for the Crown, Electric Cinema and other gems in Station Street in Birmingham, to retain the cultural uses of the buildings.
- Potentially use Compulsory Purchase powers to ensure priority projects such as the Harborne Royalty go ahead - even where the local council does not have the resources to do so.
- Deliver the plan to turn the Duddeston Viaduct in Digbeth into a “skypark” – inspired by New York’s High Line public park.
- Use new transport links to open up heritage sites to more visitors, for example around the Black Country Living Museum, and Dudley Castle and Zoo.
- Explore how the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and its collections could potentially become a National Museum, supporting it with national funding.
- Offer expertise and support to local groups who are seeking to restore or protect historic buildings, either through Local Heritage Trusts or community ownership.
- Celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Royal Charter for Sutton Coldfield in 2028, and the founding of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in 2027.
Andy said: “What happened to the Crooked House was a wake-up call about our cherished heritage across the region – that’s why I launched the List Your Local scheme, working with the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
“I will not rest until the Crooked House is rebuilt, and I will back the campaigners fighting for its reconstruction all the way.
“Pubs have always been a key part of the cultural life of in the West Midlands, with so many of them playing an important role in their communities, and in our history too.
“Only last month we saw the Crown Hotel in Birmingham, which played a central role in the birth of Heavy Metal, given grade II-listed status after an outcry over its future. This stuff really matters to people, and rightly so – these are places and landmarks that tell our story.
“That’s why I want to see dozens more pubs included on our list, so that they can be forwarded to Historic England and be considered for heritage status.
“But it’s not just about pubs, it’s about protecting heritage of all kinds across the West Midlands, from swimming baths to town halls to cinemas – we need to do more to protect them, to support the passionate local campaigners who work so hard to save them, and to get things moving when the system threatens to leave them derelict and at risk.
“That means providing support and expertise, using the full weight of the law against those who target heritage sites, and even stepping in to seek new powers to ensure they are safe for future generations.”