A CARE home could be built in place of the Coppertops pub if it is demolished.

A bat survey document suggests Fed3 Projects Ltd intend to apply for planning permission to demolish the Coppertops at 195 Oldbury Road, St John's, Worcester and build a nursing home in its place.

The Worcester News has approached the construction project management consultancy to ask for further details of the scheme but they declined to comment which could mean the fate of the pub is at a commercially sensitive stage in the negotiations.

A spokesman for Worcester City Council confirmed that, as yet, no planning application had been submitted for a scheme to redevelop the site.

However, one of the documents which features as part of the planning application to knock the pub down is a bat activity survey carried out under instruction from Fed3 Projects Ltd.

One passage of the document it reads: "Fed3 Projects Ltd is applying for planning permission for the demolition of the Coppertops public house at 195 Oldbury Road, Worcester and construction of a new care home."

The survey was requested by Fed3 Projects Ltd, recording the presence of features with ‘high bat roost potential’.

The survey document makes reference to the view that the demolition of the building could both destroy a bat roost and disturb and injure bats which are of the common pipistrelle variety (which makes the roost of lower conservation significance than some other bat roosts).

It says the proposed development would have 'a major negative effect on roosting bats at the site level' and makes reference to the new development having 'a soft landscaping plan' which would create a habitat for the bats while 'bat roost provision' should be made in the new building.

We have previously reported how locals at the pub were angry that the pub could go after people in Dines Green saw the closure of the Mayflower in Grenville Road and the Drakes Drum in Tudor Way, Dines Green, both demolished to make way for housing.

The Coppertops opened in November, 1969 and got its name from the tables and bar counters which were covered in beaten copper.

A document displayed in the pub's window made reference to Westbourne Leisure who the Worcester news had understood to be the owners of the site applying to demolish it 'on or after October 1'.

Planning regulations mean that - as long as the demolition is carried out safely and securely - the council does not need to give permission for the demolition unless the pub has been registered as a 'community asset', which it has not.

Westbourne has yet to provide any response to the Worcester News and Marc Johnson, the current landlord, said he was not in a position to comment.