A WELL-LOVED haven for musicians has been guaranteed a new home after the bulldozers flatten its current studio.

Members of the Lancaster Musicians' Cooperative say they have received assurances that a multi-million pound plan to redevelop Lancaster's canal corridor' will include a new home for the threatened collective.

It was feared that local musicians could be left homeless when the popular Alfred Street rehearsal venue is forced to close its doors to make way for the revamp being conducted by developer Centros Miller.

Says David Blackwell of the C-op: "We met with Centros Miller last week and they said that a new venue will be included in the development.

"They want to keep the rent the same for us because they understand that we are a non-profit making business and that we cannot afford commercial rent.

"This needs to be clarified because there is nothing in writing - but it is looking good at the moment."

Lancaster MP Ben Wallace, says "Losing the Lancaster Musicians' Co-op would have left a gaping hole in the city's thriving music scene. I am greatly encouraged by the assurances that a new venue will definitely be included in Centros Miller's plans."