Plans to return a listed building in Pershore to its former glory following a devastating fire have been revealed.

Belle House in Bridge Street, Pershore, has been closed since December when a severe fire ripped through the three-storey building.

The Grade II listed building is home to Italian restaurant Benvenuti on the ground floor, with flats on the first and second floors.

Plans submitted to Wychavon District Council say the works will “aim to reinstate the entire property to its pre-fire condition with like-for-like repairs and restoration”.

SEVERE: A fire-damaged part of the buildingSEVERE: A fire-damaged part of the building (Image: Quantum Survey and Project Management)

But it is stressed that restoration works are still at the proposal stage and that assessments will need to be carried out on a “timber-by-timber basis” to determine to full extent of the damage.

Layers of charring will then be removed from timber surfaces, allowing renovators to see what parts of the original building can be retained and which will need to be replaced.

“The restoration plan includes the use of materials and building methods that are in harmony with the property's heritage,” planning documents state, “ensuring that any replacements are made on a like-for-like basis or with heritage materials and methods where feasible.

“The work will be carried out with a deep understanding of the building's significance, ensuring that the interventions are sensitive to its storied past while securing its structural integrity for the future.”

Neighbours were evacuated from their homes after a devastating fire broke out at Belle House in the early hours of December 19.

EMERGENCY: Firefighters at the scene in DecemberEMERGENCY: Firefighters at the scene in December (Image: Newsquest)

Firefighters were still on the scene hours later and “gutted” Benvenuti staff took to social media to tell customers they wouldn’t be able to honour their Christmas and New Year’s bookings.

Belle House has a fascinating history, having been built as a warehouse for the draper opposite.

It was converted into a fire station in 1902 but fell into disrepair then became a clothes shop and house in the 1970s.

The building then housed council offices and a museum before becoming a restaurant.

Benvenuti has since opened a second restaurant in Queen Street, Droitwich.