A tale of two city venues

PLUS: Councils in some parts of Lancashire unable to provide home adaptations for disabled people

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.

Preston and Lancaster have a number of similarities. They’re both university cities, for one. They are also both more likely than anywhere else in Lancashire to elect politicians who you might view as being progressive. Little wonder, then, that they may end up served by the same local authority once the long-debated reorganisation is finished.

And while both cities have other venues (The New Continental in Preston, The Pub in Lancaster, just as a starting point), it’s fair to conclude that culturally The Ferret and Kanteena are the cornerstones of Preston and Lancaster respectively.

Both venues have been under threat - like most grassroots music venues have - and both are at very different stages of securing their future. We’ve dug into the latest for today’s edition.

Elsewhere, we’ve also looked at how some local authorities in Lancashire have simply run out of budget to carry out essential adaptations to the homes of disabled people. We asked them all what their circumstances are in response to the news that Preston can’t carry out more work until April.

The Ferret eyes bright future - while Kanteena mulls over what comes next

The Ferret in Preston

By Luke Beardsworth

One Lancashire music venue is eyeing up an ambitious new future - while another is planning its next move ahead of its closure.

Plans were this week unveiled for a 350-capacity new performance space and recording studios as part of a significant revamp at The Ferret on Fylde Road in Preston.

The venue, previously known as The Mad Ferret and notably hosted Ed Sheeran, Royal Blood and Alt-J among others, lies on the ground floor with the first floor empty and two levels occupied by a martial arts gym.

The venue was saved from the threat of closure when the venue was purchased by the Music Venues Trust, a charity set up to protect grassroots music sites, with support from Preston City Council.

The operators of The Ferret said at the time that their long-term aim was to turn the site into a cultural hub - so the plans submitted don’t come as an enormous surprise.

Jeremy Rowlands, one of The Ferret’s directors, said that the new space would likely have a different name.

“The Ferret would become room two, if you will – a smaller room. It will be preserved and won’t look an awful lot different [to how] it does at the moment – but there will be some remodeling of the ground floor.

“There will be no more walking in front of the stage [for the toilets] and the entrance will be towards the rear. You will then go into the main bar area and [on into] The Ferret.

“[On the second floor], there will be a large area that could be used for sit-down performances and also conferences and educational [activities].

“And then above that, there’s a mezzanine floor, which will contain things like podcasting suites, recording studios and a couple of classrooms,” Jeremy explained.

He stressed that there was not yet any funding in place for the ambitious project, but said that the hope was first to secure planning permission in order to set the scheme “into motion.”

According to documents outlining the proposed changes to what is a Grade II-listed former mill, an external tower would be built to house the lift shaft. The application contends that the new structure would not “compromise the authenticity” of the 225-year-old building because, throughout its history, it has previously had various additions attached to it that played a part in the production of cotton and shoes.

The main staircase would emerge into a foyer on the last full floor, featuring large windows and a view of the street below. It is here that guests could have their tickets checked before entering the new seated performance space.

New toilets would be added in the rear of that level as well as a kitchen that could “function as a bar if necessary during performances”.

Things are a little bit more uncertain in Lancaster.

The closure of Kanteena on Brewery Lane, as a result of the site being purchased for redevelopment as part of the Canal Quarter regeneration scheme, was confirmed earlier this year and more than 100 public objections have been submitted against plans that fans feel will mark the end of the venue.

It’s a public outcry that has, at times, resembled that seen in cities like Manchester and Sheffield when their music venues have been under threat.

Indeed, the Music Venue Trust reports that over 120 music venues in the UK have closed in the last decade.

But the situation with the Kanteena is not a case of a venue being forced to close by a landlord who doesn’t care, or even financial difficulties, but rather a closure that was planned all along.

The venue opened in October 2019 as part of Lancaster Music Festival and originally it was expected it would run for three years.

The operators at Kanteena stressed at the time that there was ‘no drama’ and that the landlords have been ‘brilliant throughout’.

Kanteena in Lancaster

The venue will close on New Year’s Eve with an ‘epic farewell party’.

Cllr Sam Riches, for Bulk ward at Lancaster City Council, said: “As a Bulk ward councillor and Cabinet Member of Lancaster City Council I have been saddened by the misinformation that has been circulating regarding the music venue Kanteena on Brewery Lane and the planning application to demolish the building it currently occupies.

“To be clear, the City Council is fully committed to supporting the arts and culture in Lancaster district, despite the severe financial constraints we have to work with and the limitations on external funding.

“This includes significant support for cultural sites in the Canal Quarter. For instance, we have supported the Musicians’ Co-op by helping to direct more than £750,000 of public money to the redevelopment of this important facility.

“Kanteena is a private business and the land it occupies is also privately owned.

“There is no plan from the City Council to redevelop this site, and the joint statement issued by Kanteena with developers Marco Living and Axis-RE on July 14 2025 makes the situation clear.

“I appreciate that many local residents are worried about the loss of Kanteena but councillors’ powers are very limited in relation to planning applications.

“Even if the Planning Committee decides to reject the application to demolish that does not mean that the building would continue to be used as a cultural venue as Kanteena have already confirmed that their lease is expiring and they are exploring other options.

“As a Bulk Ward councillor, I will continue to be in touch with Marco Living and Axis-RE about their intentions for the parts of the Canal Quarter that they now own, and I will aim to help the owners to achieve the best outcome for all local residents including provision for arts and culture.”

But even if the process is amicable and expected, it doesn’t answer the question of what will fill the gap in Lancaster’s live music scene.

The operators at Kanteena hope they will be able to continue in the city at a new site.

They said: “We have had a very good relationship with our landlords. It was their idea for a ‘cultural’ organisation to utilise this site whilst a longer term plan was put together and they have been open and honest about their plans leading to a clear and open relationship.

“Currently we are exploring all options regarding our future both with the landlords and other locations with the hope that Kanteena will continue in Lancaster. We are grateful to each and everyone who has supported us from the beginning and hope to be able to rely on this same support going forward whichever direction we decide to move into.”

Recommended reading this week

⚽ A row between the Lancashire Telegraph and Blackburn Rovers over their reporting continues. The paper, which employs the fantastic Elliott Jackson as its reporter of the club, has set out its stance in response to new criticism from Rovers. You can read that here.

🎸 A major expansion is planned for much-loved music venue The Ferret. It could see a new performance area added, along with recording studios. There’s quite a significant stumbling block to overcome in the form of funding not yet being in place. Here’s hoping the much-carved-into toilet walls are not scrapped as part of the plans. Full story from Paul Faulkner.

🚔 Two men involved in a vast international drugs conspiracy have been sentenced for their roles in a smuggling network that moved billions of pounds worth of illegal drugs into the UK under the cover of legitimate trade. A North of England court date that affected Preston here.

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Disabled people in Lancashire left without home adaptations in some areas due to funding shortfall

By Jamie Lopez

Councils across different parts of Lancashire are unable to provide home adaptations for disabled people ahead of proposed reforms to the funding model.