New and larger: Major expansion planned for popular music venue

Plans have been unveiled to expand legendary Preston grassroots music venue The Ferret.

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Ed Sheeran performing at The Mad Ferret in Preston

New, larger performance spaces and a set of recording studios lie at the heart of the vision for the revamp, which would see the business expand to occupy the entire Fylde Road building in which it is based.

Currently, The Ferret is located on the ground floor, while the first floor lies largely empty and two further levels are home to a martial arts gym.

The proposed overhaul comes just 18 months after the venue was saved from the threat of closure when its premises were bought by a charity set up to protect grassroots gigs, with support from Preston City Council.

At the time, the operators of The Ferret - which opened back in 2006 - said that their long-term aim was to turn the site into a “cultural hub” for Preston.

It is that ambition which plans that have now been submitted to the city authority for approval seek to realise.