Manchester Council is considering multi-million plans to transform Chetham's School of Music and permission for work to begin is expected next year.

The plans have been drawn up by award-winning Manchester-based architects Stephenson Bell.

Plans for Chets include a new £25m school next to Victoria station, featuring state-of-the-art classrooms and two performance spaces.

A new entrance will also give the public direct public access to the Chetham's 350-year-old library. The project, if it goes to plan, will be completed by 2010 and the architects say that none of the site's listed features will be harmed.

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