A CITY pub which was boarded-up last summer has been taken over by two experienced licensees while bosses are also “finalising plans” for a long-awaited refurbishment.

Jon Dean and Will Bradley, who boast 22 years of experience in the industry between them, have been recruited to run The Alma Tavern.

A spokesman for Star Pubs & Bars (SPB), which took over the Droitwich Road venue last year, said the pair are “perfectly placed to make a success of the pub”, adding “we’re delighted” to confirm new operators who know the area well.

Mr Dean currently works in education near Bromsgrove and plans to combine it with running the pub, while Mr Bradley is an experienced chef who has held a number of pub management positions.

He currently works as a chef at The Royal Oak in Catshill, near Bromsgrove, but will leave the position once The Alma re-opens.

The spokesman added: “We are finalising plans for a refurbishment of The Alma to restore it as a great quality community pub. We’ll be able to confirm all the details and timings at the end of July.”

The pub closed down after previous tenant Tim Churchman walked away in May last year just months into his contract, after SPB took over.

Many feared the departure of the experienced pub hand, who had sunk thousands of pounds of his own money into the Droitwich Road venue had sounded its death knell.

But the brewery last month announced it was currently finalising the legalities on a pair of, at that time unnamed, new licensees with experience in the pub trade.

Artwork was released in January showing what the refurbished pub would look like, though Mr Churchman had said continual delays with the revamp were one of the reasons he had decided to leave.

At the start of the year, a spokesman for SPB had also said subsidence works had been completed, while maintenance work was ongoing.

However, they said a full refurbishment would only be undertaken once a new licensee had come onboard.

Mr Churchman, 54, who now runs The Bridge Inn, Tibberton, had taken over as part of a tenant-at-will agreement with previous owners Punch Taverns.