Former Harvester site given approval to continue as a restaurant, but its future is unclear

But whether it does reopen as a restaurant under new owners still remains unclear.

The Worcester News has been following developments with the site since Mitchells & Butlers, Harvester chain's owners, confirmed the closure of the Droitwich Road pub in March.

That move came as a surprise as only a few years ago the firm invested in a major refurbishment. The pub closed its doors on April 1, when Harvester branding was taken down.

Agents JLL, acting on behalf of the mystery owners, submitted an application for a certificate of existing lawful use to Worcester City Council.

That application, that has been on the authority’s website since February, looked a tidying-up exercise to confirm the Perdiswell House site can continue as a restaurant, with the document demonstrating the site’s history.

The Certificate of Lawfulness Existing application status on the site has now been updated, with it given approval on April 30. The decision notice, signed by Philippa Smith - the authority's deputy director for economic development and planning - said: "The council considers sufficient evidence has been submitted to confirm the premises have been in continuous use as a restaurant - this use is therefore the current lawful use."

But who the new owners are, and what their plans involve, has still not been revealed.

Mitchell & Butlers previously said: “Information around the buyer is confidential so there’s nothing we can say.”

Rumours it has been bought by McDonald’s have been circulating. The fast food chain has been approached several times by a reporter, but it remains tight-lipped and so far been unable to confirm or deny those rumours.