The fate of a new haute cuisine restaurant planned for Worcester is now in the hands of city councillors.

The venture, masterminded by leading chef Shaun Hill and city businessman Brandon Weston, will go before the city council planning committee on April 6.

Mr Hill recently sold the Michelin star-rated Merchant House in Ludlow and moved to Worcester, and Mr Weston owns the Glasshouse restaurant in Church Street.

The pair, along with planning officers, had hoped that the decision could be made under delegated powers given to the officers.

Mr Hill and Mr Weston have bought Danesbury House on the corner of Sidbury and City Walls Road - formerly Bygones antique shop - and want to turn it into a high-class restaurant with 100 diners on two floors.

The new restaurant would be called the Glasshouse and would see the closure of the Church Street operation and all staff would be transferred to the new venue.

They put in a planning application for change of use and to make changes to the building in January and have worked with planning officers to iron out any problems.

Although the building is not listed, it falls within a conservation area and the owners have applied to demolish a Victorian extension.

Negotiations over conservation considerations have delayed the proceedings.

Paul O'Connor, city council planning manager, said: "We were hoping it could be sorted out using delegated powers, but the reason why it has to go to committee is because the scheme is contrary to the policies of the local plan."

Mr O'Connor explained the policies state no more than 20 per cent of the units in Sidbury should be for serving hot food and a new restaurant would breach that policy.

"We have to consider how it affects the viability and vitality of the area. We do not want any old restaurant in Sidbury because it could harm the retail character of the area.

"But if it is a Shaun Hill restaurant it will benefit the vitality and viability of the area. We will be putting all the issues to the committee."

Mr Weston hopes councillors will accept the plans and work can start for the restaurant to open by late summer.