An abandoned and derelict pub, which has become a well-known A505 landmark thanks to its Simpsons graffiti, is set to become drive-thru restaurants.

The former Horse and Groom pub, just outside Royston, is set to be developed into two restaurant drive-thru takeaways and a coffee shop after plans were given the go-ahead by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The companies set to move into the site are yet to be revealed, but an announcement is expected soon.

A505 access improvements are also being proposed as part of the plans, and there will also be a picnic area and 50 new car parking spaces.

Having closed back in 2005, a host of plans have been submitted, including a similar restaurant application back in 2018, a proposed 70-bedroom hotel and a self-storage site - with the latter two refused.

READ MORE: One for the road? The Simpsons graffiti appears on A505 pub

"The site is currently occupied by a building which is in a poor state of repair and was last used as the Horse and Groom public house," read a design and access statement submitted as part of the application.

"Along with the building being in a poor state of repair, the remainder of the site is overgrown and severely impacts the visual amenities of the area.

"The range of services and facilities to be provided as part of the roadside retail development is designed to be attractive to drivers rather than as a shopping or a leisure destination in its own right.

"As such, it is considered that the proposal will not result in a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of any nearby centre.

"The proposed use, given the planning history of the site is considered to be compatible with the adjacent residential property and will not have a harmful impact on the designations which in form the site’s wider setting. The proposal is compatible with neighbouring uses and character of the locality."

The Simpsons-themed artwork of Moe Szyslak, the owner and bartender at Moe’s Tavern in the famous animated series, was painted on the side of the old Horse and Groom pub, alongside the words "One for the road", back in 2019.

The work has since become a well-known landmark for motorists travelling along the A505.