PLANS to open a new pizza takeaway in St John's have finally moved forward.

The popular takeaway chain Domino's Pizza is set to move into former St John's watering hole The Smoke Stack which was damaged by fire in 2007.

The pizza chain has now made a formal application to Worcester City Council for a licence to stay open until 5am every day - but it has not yet been confirmed whether the takeaway would be open until the early hours seven days a week.

Whilst no formal plan has yet been submitted by Domino’s Pizza, the planning application approved in November last year gave the thumbs up to allow for the installation of a ventilation and extraction system as well as a few alterations to the building to prepare for the pizza chain to move in.

The re-opening of the building as a pizza takeaway would bring at least 25 jobs, Dominos said.

The conversion of the building from eyesore to takeaway would finally bring the dilapidated building back into use.

Last year, it was announced that former nightclub and neighbouring eyesore Zig Zag's looked finally set to be demolished to make way for apartments almost three two years after gaining planning permission and after lying empty for more than 20 years.

The plan was then hit with another delay in August and demolition was halted after developer Peter Styles decided to sell the building.

The former nightclub had fallen into a state of severe disrepair since closing more than 20 years ago and was ravaged by fire in August 2007.