A NEGLECTED Ascot pub will reopen once again after its owners found a buyer months after they ditched their refurbishment plans.

The Royal Foresters pub in London Road was set to become part of the Greene King chain of restaurants when they bought the site last summer, but they decided to sell the site in November.

It has remained an eyesore in London Road ever since, with wooden boards covering the windows and weeds overgrowing in the car park while its future remained unclear.

“I knew the pub years ago,” admitted Oakman Inns chief executive Peter Borg-Neal, who struck a £3.6million deal to buy the pub on Friday, December 30.

“I remember it in the late 90s and have always thought it was a fantastic pub and I absolutely want to restore it to its former glory, but the main thing is to have a great place in the community.”

Before it was shut down, the Foresters doubled as a hotel with 20 rooms available and, Mr Borg-Neal said he would still like this to be the case when it finally reopens.

“Ideally we'd like them to be boutique-styled rooms,” he said. “But again, it depends on the what is approved and the plans haven't even been drawn up yet.

“We are confident of getting the type of pub we want and everything approved, we have won a lot of awards in the past and will endeavour to make sure the plans are sympathetic to surroundings.”

Oakman Inn's operations manager, Adrian Laws, from Ascot, will have direct responsibility for the restaurant when it opens.

Once opened, the menu will boast Mediterranean-inspired dishes in keeping with the establishments the chain have across Berkshire and neighbouring counties.

Despite being in the early stages, Oakman Inns will be seeking to gain planning permission for a £3.5million redevelopment by late spring with the intention of being open in the autumn.

They aim to restore the original arts and crafts architecture to the southern facade which has been an iconic landmark in the town, increase parking, and remove some of the 'uglier' modern extensions.

Former owners Greene King did not comment on the sale.