FIRST LOOK at Coronation Street's new set as Weatherfield gets a new police station and courthouse... following 2017's harrowing grooming and murder storylines

By Lisa Mcloughlin and Jabeen Waheed For Mailonline

Published: 12:38 GMT, 25 December 2017 | Updated: 17:45 GMT, 25 December 2017

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It was announced in November that plans were underway for a new set for the long-running ITV soap.

And now the first pictures of the new Coronation Street outdoor set in Manchester have been revealed as the TV show gears up for six episodes a week.

Aerial photos of the highly-awaited new and improved Weatherfield showcased the Cobbles' addition of a police station and courthouse.

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Unveiled: The first pictures of the new Coronation Street outdoor set in Manchester have been revealed as the TV show gears up for six episodes a week

Looking back: Bethany Platt - played by Lucy Fallon - has endured a harrowing grooming storyline this year

The iconic Corrie Cobbles were dug up from the old set to also include restaurants, businesses and a park to cater for the extra weekly episodes.

The new photos comes a month after The Sun revealed the soap's plans to extend and update the set after the show's plots in recent months have involved dangerous story lines, involving murder and rape.

Recent grisly plots included Bethany Platt's horrific grooming storyline and Phelan's murder.

New chapter: The set is more spacious than the previous one as it boasts new features

New photos: Aerial photos of the highly-awaited new and improved Weatherfield showcased the Cobbles' addition of a police station and courthouse

Fresh start: The iconic Corrie Cobbles were dug up from the old set to also include restaurants, businesses and a park to cater for the extra weekly episodes

Exciting: The new set will cater for the sex episodes they'll be outputting weekly

And with all the recent additions to the set, the drawings have now been submitted to Trafford Council's planning bosses for approval.

Coronation Street's producer Kate Oates spoke of the exciting new plans to What's On TV magazine.

'There will be a couple of new businesses and we're going to have a little park area.

'Sometimes we say in the story office that if Maxine hadn't died where would people go to think - because it is Maxine's bench where people have their pensive moments.

In the past: The old set before it was dug up for the new expansion

Boarded up: As they prepared to update the set, the street's home facades were boarded up

New plans: In a bid to crack down on crime, plans for Coronation Street's new Weatherfield police station and courthouse have been unveiled

Harrowing: Coronation Street plots in recent months have involved dangerous story lines, involving murder and rape

New set: The Sun revealed that the new set will also include new restaurants, businesses and a park to cater for the six episodes per week

Kate continued: 'So they will have somewhere else for a pensive moment. You want precincts where people can gather.'

This comes after Corrie's Bethany Platt will take on another questionable story line as the beautician is set to become a 'secret lap dancer', The Sun reports.

She was in the centre of a disturbing theme in the soap which saw her involved in a divisive grooming plot.

Played by Lucy Fallon, the 16-year-old character was a victim of a sex ring, and was groomed by Corrie villian Nathan Curtis in her last controversial storyline.

And with all the recent additions to the set, the drawings have now been submitted to Trafford Council's planning bosses for approval

'There will be a couple of new businesses': Coronation Street's producer Kate Oates spoke of the exciting new plans to What's On TV magazine

In a bid to emotionally acknowledge her chilling past, an insider told the paper: 'Becoming a lap dancer is about having control over men for Bethany.'

They continued: 'She feels she has power over the punters she’s dancing for because they are paying to watch her but can’t touch her.

'She pities them for wanting her and the fact she refuses to take all her clothes off helps her feel like she’s the one calling the shots.'

The grooming plot came to an end as Bethany's ex and accomplice were put into prison after she provided evidence for rape.

Describing the plans further, Kate continued: 'Sometimes we say in the story office that if Maxine hadn't died where would people go to think - because it is Maxine's bench where people have their pensive moments'

Controversial: This comes after it's revealed that Bethany Platt will take on another questionable story line in Coronation Street as she's set to become a 'secret lap dancer' after her harrowing grooming plot

Emotional: Played by Lucy Fallon, the 16-year-old character was a victim of a sex ring, and was groomed by Corrie villian Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper)

In recent months, viewers have watched on in horror as Bethany experiences the shocking abuse at the hands of her older boyfriend.

Ofcom were flooded with complaints by fans of the show who have insisted they are showing too much at the time.

But the actress explained that while there has been a huge uproar from viewers, the story has also been met with a positive response.