A POPULAR music venue in the heart of Great Malvern has been given the licence to rock again.

The Re-Con was the only designated venue for live performance and the arts in the town but it closed seven years ago after its lease was not renewed.

Neil Collins was granted a premises licence for the Re- Con, formerly the Great Malvern Club, in Church Street, this week.

More than 350 people signed a petition for the club to reopen and a similar number have “liked” Mr Collins’ page on social networking site Facebook.

An opening weekend has been pencilled in for Saturday, December 15, with all refurbishment work on target for completion.

Mr Collins, who also runs sound and vision business Midland Audio and Colwall Family Music Festival, said he was “chuffed to bits” with the decision by Malvern Hills District Council's licensing sub-committee.

“We are very pleased it has been successful at this stage.

It’s a relief because a lot of hard work goes into putting an application together.”

He added some events and gigs have already been booked, including a New Year’s Eve party with the Cover Up band.

“There will be other events set up at short notice. We are very lucky because we have got a large group of friends and acts that will be prepared to put on events at fairly short notice.

“There’s lots of talent to draw on so we hit the ground running.”

The venue, which also doubled as the Malvern Hills Conservative Club, was closed down by its then chairman Mal Downey in 2005 when the building’s owner the Post Office would not offer a five-year lease, which was needed so the club could borrow £15,000 for vital refurbishment work.

At the time, Dr Downey said an agreed two-year deal was not long enough. Mr Collins and a team of supports will be in the town centre tomorrow (Saturday) handing out flyers ahead of the Christmas lights switch-on.