A DERELICT nightclub looks set to finally be demolished to make way for apartments and shops after more than two years of delays.

A plan to flatten Zig Zag in St John’s and build 12 new apartments above shop and office space was approved by Worcester City Council’s planning committee way back in October 2016.

But there has been no progress at the club since then despite a condition in the planning permission that work should begin within two years.

This was due to a disagreement over Section 106 money – funds the developer has to give the council for local infrastructure.

Now the city council has given the green light to start building the apartments after coming to a final agreement with the developer, Peter Styles.

The eyesore building has fallen into a state of severe disrepair since it closed more than 20 years ago and was ravaged by fire in August 2007.

City councillor Richard Udall, who represents St John’s, said the old rotting building had been a “scar on the face of St John’s” for a long time and he looked forward to work starting.

He said: “It is brilliant news. It will definitely improve the frontage of St John’s and I am looking forward to new shops in the community.

“To be honest, I am pretty sure the vast majority of people in St John’s wouldn’t care what was there [in the empty shop unit] as long as it was something.

“I look forward to this scar on St John’s being removed.”

The plan would keep the front of the old Cordles store and install space for a new shop and office as well as eight one-bedroom and four two-bedroom apartments.

Six car parking spaces would also be built at the back of the old shop and nightclub.

Conditions were put in place when the scheme was approved to forgo the council’s usual requirement of 30 per cent of a development to be designated as affordable housing, as well as thousands of pounds of financial contributions to the council – the section 106 money.

In 2016, discussions between the city council and Peter Styles revealed the development would not be worthwhile if an affordable housing quota and extra money contributions were placed on the developer.

Council planners encouraged the planning committee to approve Peter Styles' application as the former nightclub had not attracted any attention from other developers and had been left empty for several years.