A WORCESTER publican spent £320,000 revamping his boozer to include an on-site Indian restaurant – but the curry house remains shut amid a controversial planning wrangle.

Furious Tim Sandhu sunk the six-figure sum into a major transformation of The Vine Bar & Grill, in Ombersley Road.

But the restaurant has stood empty for the last six weeks due to a planning row which threatens the entire business unless it can start trading.

When Worcester City Council gave planning permission, one of the conditions was that Mr Sandhu improved the footpaths outside.

But the landlord says the work, which would involve reinstating kerbs and temporarily ripping out a set of traffic lights, will cost about £90,000 – money he has not got.

It means the Indian cannot open without him being in breach of the planning approval, leaving the restaurant shut.

He said: "This is totally unfair – I'm a one-man business, I'm not Tesco or Sainsbury's.

"I have spent a fortune on this pub and here I am, unable to open the restaurant despite customers constantly asking about it.

"I spent £320,000 on this place, completely transforming it and 40 per cent of that money went on the restaurant, I haven't got £90,000.

"I've been shafted by this one condition – people at the pub think the council is absurd for insisting the work outside is my responsibility.

"This place opened and closed about six times before I took it over – to make it profitable and viable I need that restaurant."

He also says around seven jobs are dependent on the curry house opening up, and that he has contemplated closing the whole place down due to his despair.

"I've taken an eyesore and made it a wonderful place but I can't afford to do what they are insisting I do," he said.

Claines Councillor, Andy Stafford, who is backing Mr Sandhu, said: "Tim has done a great job, at great personal expense in rescuing the Vine, which could have quite easily been converted into flats or student housing and lost for good.

"To make the Vine viable Tim really needs the restaurant open."

Mr Sandhu has been asked to refurbish the kerbing and footpath along Ombersley Road and Vine Street.

A city council spokesman said: "The planning permission Mr Sandhu was given included a condition that the pavement be improved before the restaurant could be opened.

"This condition was agreed with the county council as the highways authority, and Mr Sandhu would have been aware of it at the time permission was approved."

He said the council was open to "further discussions" on it.

A county council spokesman added: "As with any application, the applicant has the option of challenging any planning conditions applied and this may be considered through the usual process."