Bispham Market site set for new theatre school centre with Phil Winston and Nicky Figgins

New plans to open a theatre school facility on the Bispham Market site are to press ahead now that the market has finally closed..

The popular market, on Red Bank Road, shut its doors for good earlier this monthafter being a focal point of the village for more than 50 years.

There are now plans to replace the market with the theatre school, based in the same premises but extensively revamped.

Two well known Fylde coast theatre schools, Phil Winston's Theatreworks College and Nicky Figgins Centre Stage Academy, will be moving into the premises from the spring

The new venue is to be called Stage Door Studios and is set to open its doors in the spring next year.

Nicky Figgins posted on Facebook: "We cannot wait to bring our successful dance school to Bispham.

"We will have three bespoke studios in the heart of the village from March or April - almost 20 years of established school and we will continue to give both children and adults the gift of dance." Bispham Market closed because there were not enough traders renting stalls to make the overall market cot effective.

Stallholders said they did not blame the market owners and have all found new premises to trade from the Bispham village area, with some already up and running in the premises.