Plans to expand Co-op Live with canalside cafe

The proposed bar and cafe would run along the nearby Ashton Canal

Plans to build a new canalside cafe next to the UK's largest indoor arena have been revealed.

The development, proposed for the 23,500-seater Co-op Live in Manchester, would see a bar, eatery, and merchandise store built out from the venue and overlook the Ashton Canal.

A Co-op Live spokeswoman said the space would be open to the public and for private hire and could accommodate about 600 people.

An exhibition is set to held at the arena on Thursday to give visitors a chance to discover more about the plans.

Co-op Live has said the venue would be open to the public

A planning application for the development on the south-facing terrace of the imposing arena building will be submitted to Manchester City Council after the exhibition, the spokeswoman said.

The canalside cafe would be available for use as a "pre-event" area for ticketholders, and there would be accessible toilets and baby changing facilities, she added.

Co-op Live, which opened in May last year after a troubled start, is part of the Oak View Group, a US-based sports and real estate firm.