THE site of an Indian restaurant in Royston is to become vacant. A Taste of India will be closing in about four weeks, leaving the site in Newmarket Road set for development. Outline plans to develop the site for a block of flats have already been submitt

THE site of an Indian restaurant in Royston is to become vacant.

A Taste of India will be closing in about four weeks, leaving the site in Newmarket Road set for development.

Outline plans to develop the site for a block of flats have already been submitted by owners Letchworth Palace.

The site included land where the Priory cinema stood before it was demolished and the Green Plunge open-air swimming pool.

Harun Khan, left, who runs the restaurant, said: "We have been here between 18-20 years and have been made offers by the landowners for the past 10 years, but we have been waiting for the right time."

Mr Khan has bought the Red Lion pub in Kneesworth which will be converted into a new Indian restaurant.

"It is a 16th century pub with a lot of character which we want to retain.

"We are looking forward to the project," he said.

Work on converting the Red Lion pub is expected to begin in the summer.

He will also be converting a pub near Saffron Walden into a restaurant.

Mr Khan said: "We want to see the site developed, it's a bit of an eyesore.

"We were on the fence with this restaurant. We didn't know what to do with it.

"It was one of the first restaurants we had, but we knew it was going to go.