A POWICK county councillor says his quick actions helped save a village pub which could have been turned into housing.

Worcestershire county councillor for Powick, Liberal Democrat Tom Wells, has welcomed the refurbishment of the Plough and Harrow pub in Rhydd Road, near Guarlford and says his intervention bought time for the pub so that a new owner could be found.

A planning application had gone in to Malvern Hills District Council for permission to carry out the conversion of the pub in Rhydd Road, near Guarlford into housing.

We reported in July 2017 how an application had been made by Birmingham-based chartered surveyor James A Baker which included a viability report describing the pub’s future as a licensed premises as “quite bleak”.

The report says that the pub has been marketed as a business since January 2016, and in that time, there were no offers to buy it as a business with the pub closing its doors in June 2016.

The county councillor said on his Facebook page: "Last year, the owners submitted a planning application to turn the site into housing.When it got to the planning committee the council officers were recommending approval.Things were not looking good for those who wished to see this rural pub saved.

"I needed to do something and think quickly. I spotted that the applicants had not entered into mandatory consultation with the local community and was able to persuade the committee to defer their decision in order for this 'box to be ticked'.

"Crucially, this bought us a little time to find a new owner to take the pub on.

"Thankfully this came about with a company specialising in renovating rural pubs such as the Plough and Harrow. Renovation is now under way and the pub will reopen later in the year."

As previously reported Brunning and Price have started work.

A spokesperson for the company said in a previous statement: "The pub has been closed for quite some time now and the locals were horrified to understand that the land could be used to develop into houses and so we were contacted by someone who felt that we could save it and restore it to its former glory.

"Thankfully, all has gone to plan, and we look forward to reopening the Plough and Harrow in the summer this year.

"The Plough and Harrow will be in good company as Brunning and Price own the Arrow Mill which opened in Alcester late last year and the Old Courthouse in Cheltenham."

The group has 70 pub restaurants.