We’ve covered social media conflict at Lancashire County Council in some depth on these pages before - so it was no surprise to see the topic arise when the Local Government Association publish its peer review into the authority.

The report, which is not designed to criticise, highlighted that numerous councillors and staff had raised concerns over the culture at County Hall. Complaints have more than tripled in 2025 compared to previous years.

The authority stresses that there has been no increase in serious breaches of the code of conduct - but the bar for any authority to take action against a councillor over their use of social media is extremely high.

Lancashire briefing

🗳️ Reform UK and the Green Party’s rise; city centre shops and jobs; night-time safety and students active in politics are among the big issues for people in Lancaster as a council by-election approaches. The Castle ward is set for a poll next week following the resignation of Green city councillor Isabella Metcalfe-Riener, who was also a Lancaster University student. She was elected two years ago but is moving away. Currently, the ward’s two other city councillors are both Greens. The Labour Party recently claimed residents ‘deserve a full-time councillor’. But the Greens said Isabella made a valuable contribution including representing young people. University students and staff have been elected as city councillors over the years for different parties, building a tradition of university representation at the council. The Greens, Labour, Lib Dems and Reform UK are all standing on Thursday, May 21 for the one vacant seat – but the Conservatives are sitting it out.

🤝🏻 Conservatives and defectors to Reform UK have been accused of forming an unannounced ‘Conform’ coalition at Ribble Valley Borough Council. Two councillors who recently defected to Reform have kept their influential committee roles despite swapping parties – which indicates a coalition, opposition parties claim. But Reform councillors have rejected the suggestion. The accusations came at Ribble Valley Borough Council’s annual meeting, when influential committee chairperson roles for the next 12 months were decided. No local elections were held in the Ribble Valley last week, unlike other parts of Lancashire where Reform had big wins. But in recent weeks, three Ribble Valley councillors have defected to Reform, creating an official new group of four. The borough is still officially led by the Conservatives, under council leader Simon Hore. At the meeting, he recommended that Ian Brown, formerly a Conservative and then an independent before joining Reform; and Ricky Newmark, also formerly a Conservative but now in Reform, should be the chairmen of licensing and economic committees respectively. Both held the roles previously.

🌹 Matthew Brown is set to remain the leader of Preston City Council after the Labour group on the authority backed him to stay in the post. The veteran politician was re-elected unopposed as local party leader during a meeting of Labour councillors on Tuesday evening. The Labour group decision came after last week’s local election results in which the party lost overall control of the city council for the first time in 15 years. However, deputy council leader Martyn Rawlinson has not put himself forward to remain in that role, which he first took up five years ago. He is, however, intending to stay as the cabinet member for resources. Cllr Valerie Wise – currently the cabinet member for community wealth building – hopes to replace him. She first sat on the city council back in the 1990s and was the authority’s leader between May 1994 and December 1995. She returned to the town hall after a more than 20-year absence in 2022.

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Social media conflict damaging Lancashire County Council’s wider reputation

By Luke Beardsworth

Lancashire County Council must address the social media conflict which is damaging the authority’s wider reputation.

That is one key verdict from the Local Government Association’s Corporate Peer Challenge which has been published ahead of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

It highlights that complaints against councillors have more than tripled from typically less than 20 to 61 in 2025 - with the majority coming since Reform UK took power in May 2025.

And that comes as The Lancashire Lead can reveal that at least one Reform UK councillor is being investigated by Lancashire Constabulary over allegations of harassment centred around social media use.

This investigation is ongoing under the Operation Ford banner, which is designed to protect elected officials from intimidation, harassment and violence.

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The concerns are a blackspot and altogether avoidably risk distracting from what is broadly a positive report into how Lancashire County Council is performing.

It says that the council’s priorities are clear, that the council is working positively with district councils and that there is a clear focus on embedding ‘value for money’ into decision making.

But some councillors privately believe that the report does not accurately reflect the mood at County Hall.

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Any journalist hoping for a quiet week after the 48 hour slog that is the local elections had their hopes dashed - for conversation has now turned to the future of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

It looked for a while on Tuesday that we were seeing the beginning of the end, but as we write to you on Wednesday morning Starmer is reportedly more confident that he will keep his position. As we know however, it doesn’t take much for that to change.

Lancashire MPs have had something of a cool relationship with the government since 2024. We’ve looked at what the Lancashire MPs make of what’s happening this week.

Lancashire briefing

🏠 A bid to build up to 1,300 homes on farmland in South Ribble has been kicked out by councillors – with one of them condemning the planned development as “an absolute crime”. The proposed ‘Cuerdale Garden Village’ would have seen 159 hectares of greenbelt – to the east of the M6 in Samlesbury – given over to a sprawling development incorporating not just housing, but also industrial and commercial units, a new primary school, local shopping centre, green space and a park-and-ride facility into Preston. However, the scheme, which was intended to extend across five parcels of land – four to the south of the A59 Preston New Road and the other on the northern side of the busy route – attracted 1,250 public objections and was recommended for refusal by South Ribble Borough council planning officials. Members of the authority’s planning committee agreed, rejecting the blueprint at a meeting which heard emotive speeches from some of those opposed.

🩺 Lancashire residents who are interested in a career in nursing could get the chance to pursue their dreams via a degree apprenticeship as part of a government plan to make the profession more accessible to people from a broader range of backgrounds. Historically, entry into nursing has come via traditional university study, but an earn-while-you-learn option – leading to exactly the same qualification – was introduced back in 2017. In 2024/25, 57 apprentice nurses were recruited across the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) region – and now the area is amongst 19 nationwide eligible to share in a £65.4m funding boost designed to find the next nursing generation that would like a more flexible route to the NHS frontline. The cash is being targeted towards those locations with the largest training shortages – and also those that are less affluent.

🛏️ A historic Clitheroe town centre shop has been given a new lease of life as affordable rented flats thanks to a council grant. The former Salvation Army shop and worship centre on the corner of Lowergate and King Lane is being turned into three one-bedroom flats by local company Branleigh Holdings. Work is underway on converting it to apartments, which will be available for rent at local housing allowance rates over the coming months to people on Ribble Valley Borough Council’s affordable housing register. The council is offering grants of up to 50 per cent of the cost of converting or renovating properties, to a maximum of £20,000. On completion, the properties must meet the government’s decent homes standard and be let for a minimum of five years, during which time the council will set an affordable rent and have nomination rights over who occupies them.

Five Labour MPs in Lancashire call for Keir Starmer to resign

By Luke Beardsworth

Five MPs in Lancashire are among those who called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign in the wake of the disastrous 7 May local election results.

Paul Foster, MP for South Ribble, Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, Sarah Smith, MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, and Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood are all among the group of more than 80 to publicly call for Starmer to step aside.

Maya Ellis (Ribble Valley), Mark Hendrick (Preston), Andy McNae (Rossendale and Darwen) and Ashley Dalton (West Lancashire) have not yet made their position known.

The Lancashire Lead understands that both Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Wyre, and Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, are considering adding their names to the list calling for a leadership contest on Wednesday (13 May) but have so far kept their powder dry.

More than 100 MPs have signed a statement saying it is ‘no time for a leadership contest’ as names like Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband continue to be linked with leadership bids.

The names on that list have been contested by some but it does include Burnley MP Oliver Ryan.

“Last week we had a devastatingly tough set of election results. It shows we have a hard job ahead to win back trust from the electorate,” the letter said.

“That job needs to start today – with all of us working together to deliver the change the country needs. We must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest.”

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A bad day for Labour and the Conservatives in Lancashire’s local elections - although both will point to potential signs of green shoots in the sturdiness of their vote in at least some areas.

It means that in one borough, we had calls for Keir Starmer to resign.

The Green Party had a historic result in two borough council areas while Reform UK made big gains almost across the board.

Today’s edition, fuelled by journalists at counts across Lancashire, is completely free to read. With that in mind, we would appreciate any sharing of the piece that you can do. And, as a reminder, we can only keep doing this with more paid subscribers.

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Lancashire briefing

🗳️ The Conservatives claimed a double win in the Ansdell Park and Kirkham South wards parish by-elections, holding both seats. The May 7 polls took place in the Park ward of Ansdell and Fairhaven Parish Council and the Kirkham South ward of Kirkham Town Council. The vacancy on Ansdell and Fairhaven Parish Council came after the resignation of Cllr Amy Barnes, while the vacancy in Kirkham South comes after Cllr Tony Wellings stood down.

⛷️ Rossendale’s much loved ski slope must be saved for youngsters to enjoy, locals say. The future of the Hill dry ski slope in Rawtenstall is in doubt as Rossendale Council reviews all of its leisure sites. The review will also look at The Whitaker museum, also in Rawtenstall, and the Ashworth Centre in Whitworth. Rossendale Leisure Trust manages the venues on the council’s behalf along with sport and leisure centres such as Rawtenstall’s Marl Pits. The review suggests the trust should focus on ‘core’ sports and physical activity in future and other management or ownership options should be explored for The Hill, The Whitaker and the Ashworth.

🌹 A member of Preston City Council’s cabinet has been suspended by the Labour Party. Cllr Freddie Bailey, who held the environment and community safety portfolio on the authority, is not currently sitting with the ruling group while an investigation takes place. The allegations have not been made public but he denies wrongdoing. His suspension became public knowledge ahead of Thursday’s elections, where he was not up for re-election. It was notable, at Friday’s counts, that councillors from all parties went over to express best wishes.

🗺️If you want a view on the local elections beyond just Lancashire, well worth a read of our sister national title The Lead’s analysis of lessons learned from the elections elsewhere with Westminster Editor Zoë Grünewald.

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A bad elections by every measure for the established parties

By Luke Beardsworth with Rachel Howarth, Bill Jacobs, Robbie Macdonald and Ed Walker

The disparate nature of Lancashire’s boroughs was there for all to see as seven boroughs went to the polls on Thursday.

It was, by almost every measure, a bad night for Labour and the Conservatives as long-serving local candidates were unseated across the county.

It leaves a number of authorities in no overall control ahead of the looming local government reorganisation which will see all of them scrapped and replaced - something unlikely to make that process more straightforward.

While most Labour leaders refused to be drawn on the future of Prime Minister Keir Starmer - but noted the unpopularity of the government had cost them - there were calls for him to resign from Blackburn with Darwen.

Cllr Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “It’s a disaster. Keir Starmer should resign as Labour leader and Prime Minister.

“It is absolutely tragic that long‑standing Labour councillors who have given years of service to their party and communities are losing their seats all over the country and here in Blackburn with Darwen.

“Sir Keir is the leader and has to take responsibility. As a Labour Party, we cannot go on like this.”

Turnout for the elections across the board was high, whether that’s because of the energising effect of the Green Party and Reform UK or anger aimed at the Labour government.

Preston

Labour lost control of Preston City Council for the first time since 2011 thanks to surges in support for Reform UK and the Green Party coupled with the continued strong showing for the Lib Dems.

In practice, Labour’s position is safer than it seems. The overall make-up of the council includes three independents about whom it is taken for granted that they will support Labour. Their leader, Cllr Matthew Brown, offered his congratulations to anyone who made gains.

But it does leave them in the position where they will need to turn to the Green Party for support on contentious issues.

Avery Greatorex, chair of the Green Party, told The Lancashire Lead after winning their first ever two seats at the authority that they would support Labour when they thought it was in the interests of residents.

She said: There are certainly things that we agree on with Preston Labour, but we are going to disagree on a few things. We are going to be a critical friend, but that’s going to go to all of the parties because we believe our council’s best if we were all cooperating to some extent.”

Reform UK won seats mostly where it would have expected a strong showing, though far from on the scale seen in the rest of the country - and in East Lancashire. Labour was able to hold onto four seats.

It was the Reform UK gain of Lea and Larches, after a recount, that arguably the biggest surprise came - with the Lib Dems losing a seat they were defending for the first time in a good while.

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Chorley

Reform UK won half of the seats contested in an election where it was mathematically impossible for Labour to lose control of the authority.

Labour held onto five - with Emma Walker winning a seat for the first time at 24-years-old a particularly eye catching result.

In 2022, the average age of local councillors in the UK was 60. Emma is 24.

She told The Lancashire Lead: “I feel that young people can make such a big difference, having their voices heard and making big decisions. We have a fresh perspective.”

Like in Preston, there was a historic win for the Green Party. Olga cash said they had been rewarded for focusing efforts on her ward - Chorley South West. The presence of Gorton and Denton Green MP Hannah Spencer on the campaign trail attests to that.

For Reform UK, now the official opposition at Chorley, it’s about scrutiny.

Cllr Martin Topp, the only Reform UK councillor defending a seat in the elections, said: “It’s really about ensuring that what [is] happening is all legit and above board.”

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West Lancashire

Reform UK and the independent Our West Lancashire group have won a host of council seats in West Lancashire – while Labour have suffered heavy losses.

Labour was defending eight seats in the West Lancashire Council elections and lost them all. But Reform had seven councillors elected, OWL had five councillors elected and the Conservatives had three. Fifteen council seats were up for grabs.

Control of the authority is yet to be decided.

Nigel Hudson was elected for Reform UK in Skelmersdale South. He said: “Issues included people feeling they had been at risk of being denied a vote by the government’s original move to cancel the elections, and the Skelmersdale and Ormskirk swimming pools row.

“I’m a real advocate for sport and leisure, and the lack of facilities in the town is pretty stark. I’ve been involved in taekwondo, martial arts and sports for 30 years and more. In some ways, I’ve been involved in politics around sport. But being a councillor in party politics is totally new for me. I’m honoured to have been elected and hope this can bring some hope of real change.”

Our West Lancashire (OWL) had a number of new councillors elected including Michael Crompton, aged 21, in Ormskirk East.

He said: “I got involved with OWL because I was getting angry with what Labour has done to the area and how money was being allocated, such as the leisure centres.

“I’d contacted Labour councillors with questions but didn’t get a reply or an answers from some. However, OWL councillors did respond. So I threw my hat in the ring and stood for election.

“We’ve got two years before West Lancashire Council could be merged with other councils, under the local government shake-up in 2028. That’s still a significant time in which we can push for good things. I’ve grown up in West Lancashire and the borough council has been here all my life. So I want to do my bit to put things right.”

Simon Evans, deputy leader at Lancashire County Council, was not among the successful Reform UK candidates.

Hyndburn

Hyndburn went through a seismic change at this year’s local elections, with both main parties struggling to hold onto any seat and Labour losing control of the borough council while remaining the biggest party.

Across every one of the 11 wards where thousands of voters went to the polls on Thursday, the resounding response from the electorate was that they wanted change, with five Conservative and three Labour councillors losing their seats – almost entirely to Reform UK.

The surge in support for Reform could be seen in almost every seat, with their mostly first-time candidates sweeping aside four incumbents. The exception being former Labour council leader Miles Parkinson, who has been returned to Accrington Town Hall under the light blue banner of Nigel Farage’s insurgent party.

Reactions in the hall were muted as the scale of Reform’s success became apparent, even unseating one of the Green Party’s two councillors, despite the party picking up hundreds of votes in many wards.

At one point, there was some consternation about the occasional candidate refusing to shake hands, and even the occasional boo breaking out as Reform captured yet another ward from the two main parties.

Sarah Smith, Labour’s MP for Hyndburn, said: “These are obviously disappointing results and highlight the need for us to deliver serious change to people’s lives.”

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Burnley

In Burnley, Reform UK’s wins were even more dramatic as they became the biggest party at an authority which remains in no overall control.

Reform UK won 11 of the 15 seats up for grabs, bringing its total on the council up to 13.

The Liberal Democrats lost a seat despite former MP Gordon Birtwistle holding on, while Independents gained three. Labour, the Conservatives and the Green Party won none.

Council leader Afrasiab Anwar won Bank Hall for the Independents.

He said: “I’m grateful to the people in Bank Hall for supporting me.

“I’m an activist who works with my communities and does whatever to support them.”

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Pendle

In Pendle, Reform UK won four seats, including the council’s Liberal Democrat leader David Whipp’s Earby ward.

Independents gained one seat, the Conservatives lost three and the Liberal Democrats two, leaving the council in no overall control. Its new make‑up is Independents 13, Conservatives eight, Liberal Democrats seven and Reform UK five.

Blackburn with Darwen

The result in Blackburn with Darwen means Labour is not in charge of the borough for the first time since it regained power in 2011, after four years of no overall control which included a Conservative‑led coalition administration from 2007 to 2010.

The election saw Labour lose a net seven seats, despite veteran former councillor Hussain Akhtar wresting Shear Brow and Corporation Park from 4BwD group Independent Suleman with a majority of 95 after two recounts.

Six Independents linked to 4BwD – whose councillors left Labour over the party’s stance on the Gaza conflict in 2023 – won seats the group did not previously hold, while the Conservatives lost three.

Talks have now begun over how the council will be run following Thursday’s dramatic results, with insiders predicting Labour and the 4BwD group will come to at least some form of understanding, if not a formal coalition.

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It is local elections week, which means I am gearing up for a stint from late Thursday night straight through into late Friday covering the results and reaction from across the county.

What actually happens is challenging to predict. But it is hard to see a world where Labour don’t lose total seats, and the Greens and Reform UK don’t make gains.

Lancashire, though, is especially interesting as an area that has one year of Reform UK leadership at Lancashire County Council already to inspire voters.

A bad result for Labour will be viewed as a verdict on Keir Starmer. Would a disappointing night for Reform UK be viewed as a verdict on how Lancashire County Council is being led?

Today’s edition is our big election preview.

Lancashire briefing

✂️ A political row has broken out after the Reform UK group that runs Lancashire County Council announced that it plans to “withdraw” the local authority from two government schemes that rehome refugees in the area. The party says a proposal to end its involvement in the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) and the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) will be put before cabinet later this summer. However, opposition groups branded the move a “stunt” and a “dog whistle” – claiming, variously, that it will not stop refugees from being housed in the county, but could cut off funding for those who have already arrived. Reform UK says the county council will remain within the Homes for Ukraine initiative – designed to help those who fled to the UK after Russia’s invasion of their country – which it describes as having “a legal obligation” to provide. But it has pledged to pull out of what it calls “discretionary” schemes. When quizzed, Reform UK did not answer and Lancashire County Council said ‘ask the Home Office’.

🚔 Lancashire Police has no immediate plans to introduce a new type of speed camera that can see into vehicles and capture other motoring offences. The artificial intelligence-powered devices – which are designed to catch drivers using a mobile phone, not being in proper control of their vehicle or not wearing a seatbelt – first appeared on UK roads during trials three years ago. They have since been rolled out more widely, with Sussex Police becoming the latest force to deploy the new kit – which continues to monitor speed – last month. However, Lancashire Constabulary said that it was “not currently” planning to bring the technology to the county’s highway network – but was exploring “lots of options” surrounding the latest advancements in enforcement.

🏰 Historic Clitheroe Castle, a key Lancashire tourist attraction, could come under new ownership in a shake-up of councils expected in 2028. The landmark 12th Century fortress draws visitors to Clitheroe and the wider region. And it is currently having repairs, as part of a £2.3million investment programme on the castle and grounds by Ribble Valley Borough Council. But the borough council, which owns the whole castle site, could be merged with Preston and Lancaster or scrapped under government plans to reorganise all Lancashire councils. This raises questions about who might own and maintain it in future. Now, Ribble Valley Borough Council is looking at options which could involved transferring the castle to another owner, if the 2028 shake-up happens. Other council-owned buildings, like Ribblesdale Pool, and land could be transferred too.

Will local or national issues win the day as Lancashire goes to the polls?

By Luke Beardsworth

Seven of Lancashire’s 15 councils will head to the polls this week in a set of local elections that will - rightly or wrongly - be portrayed as a referendum of the performance of the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister since 2024’s Labour landslide on the back of 14 years of Conservative rule, is under pressure for a multitude of reasons ranging from the Peter Mandelson scandal all the way to pressure from core party voters who believe he is not being radical enough.

That means that many voters are looking for alternatives - and those alternatives are most likely to take shape in the form of Reform UK, the Greens and Lib Dems.

And while there is plenty of truth in the notion that a party’s national perception can affect performance locally - where decision-making is often massively distant from whoever the party leader is - there are no shortage of issues on the ground that will impact how people vote in these elections.

Leading national polls comfortably at the moment are Reform UK - which throws up some interesting questions for Lancashire in particular.

All of Burnley, Chorley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Preston and West Lancashire returned Reform UK candidates to varying degrees in the 2025 Lancashire County Council elections, meaning the electorate in these areas now has some experience of being under their leadership.

For that reason, it is perhaps unsurprising that the council Reform UK are expecting to perform best in is Blackburn with Darwen - which has the chance to vote for the party in a full election for the first time.

Pollcheck - to be taken with a hearty pinch of salt, particularly where independents are involved in the mix - predicts that Reform UK will win 10 of the 17 seats up for grabs on Thursday.

This is despite high-profile revelations involving at least two of their candidates in the build up.

John Black, 55, standing in Little Harwood and Whitebirk, is one of three candidates nationwide to be thrown out of Reform UK following an investigation by anti-racist campaign group HOPE Not Hate and the Daily Mirror.

All three feature on a leaked list of BNP members and contacts from 2007-2008. It is believed that the list included members at the time, former members and individuals who showed interest in the party but did not officially join. Mr Black told The Mirror he had never been a BNP member.

Black’s expulsion comes against the background of a continuing row over social media posts by Reform UK’s Blackburn South East local election candidate Andy Mahon.

His now-deleted Facebook messages include the use of the ‘n’ word, sexist and offensive remarks about the new Green MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, references to former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner being overweight, and homophobic remarks about Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

In response to Andy Mahon’s social media posts, Reform UK said it believed in free speech.

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We’ve covered a winter of discontent caused by the water network on these pages before and United Utilities told us the same thing: record investment is coming, and bill increases are necessary to pay for it.

But their results, unpicked for today’s edition, show that profits have soared in line with water bills while that investment is happening. Which begs the question: did bills really need to increase so dramatically to fund those long overdue upgrades?

In the last edition, I told you that our two-year offer would come to an end. I’ve kept it in place for today because I think this is an especially important piece of writing that you should be able to read.

To celebrate two years of The Lancashire Lead, we are offering 30 per cent off our annual subscriptions, making it more affordable than ever to support proper journalism in our county. This deal ends by the next edition. Help to keep us going here.

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Lancashire briefing

⛷️ Rossendale’s dry ski slope could be closed in a review of council-owned leisure centres. And there could be changes coming for a Rawtenstall museum and a Whitworth venue too. The Hill Ski Centre, which first opened in 1973 as a centre for skiing, snowboarding and other activities, is the focus of a new Rossendale Council leisure review. The Rawtenstall slope provides many community benefits but is costly and ‘constrained’ in offering new attractions, the council report says. Rossendale Council is reviewing all its leisure sites managed on its behalf by Rossendale Leisure Trust. Running costs, loans and customer income are key factors between the council and trust, which use a mix of cash from the council, Sport England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The report suggests the leisure trust should focus on gym, sport and physical activity sites, including Marl Pits Swimming Pool. And other future options should be explored for the ski slope, the Whitaker Museum in Rawtenstall and Ashworth Centre in Whitworth. The trust manages a ‘diverse and ageing’ network of sites, the report says. And the ski slope’s future is ‘the most complex’ of three recommendations councillors are to consider on Wednesday, May 6.

🏗️ A 30-storey building that will become the tallest tower block in Lancashire is set to spring up in Preston city centre after being given the go-ahead by councillors. The blueprint for the 87-metre-high ‘Altura’ skyscraper was unanimously backed by members of Preston City Council’s planning committee – after they were told it would not be an “dominant” addition to the local landscape. If the now-approved plans come to fruition, the structure – which will incorporate 218 apartments, communal areas for residents and almost 600 square metres of ‘flexible’ office space – will stand on what is currently a small car park at the junction of Derby Street and Lords Walk, close to the city’s bus station.

🚌 A seasonal bus service offering summer day‑trippers easier access to the historic village of Rivington, its Lever Park and famous Pike returns on Sunday, May 3. The route linking Chorley, Adlington and Rivington operates on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Lancashire County Council is reintroducing service 125R, utilising Lancashire Combined County Authority bus grant funding from HM Government. The service will operate on Sundays and Bank Holidays until November 1.

🗳️ A Reform UK candidate in Blackburn with Darwen’s May 7 local elections has been expelled from the party over his alleged former membership of the British National Party. John Black, aged 55, standing in Little Harwood and Whitebirk, is one of three candidates nationwide to be thrown out following an investigation by anti-racist campaign group HOPE Not Hate and the Daily Mirror. The other two are David Prior, standing in the Gateshead ward of Saltwell, and George Parnell, standing in Hampshire (Fleet Town) and Hart (Fleet Central). All three feature on a leaked list of BNP members and contacts from 2007-2008. It is believed that the list included members at the time, former members and individuals who showed interest in the party but did not officially join. Mr Black told The Mirror he had never been a BNP member.

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United Utilities doubles profits while water bills rocket to pay for longer overdue upgrades

By Michael Holmes

It “beggars belief” that water bills are rocketing when United Utilities is making so much money, water campaigners have said.

River Action’s CEO James Wallace hit out after financial results showed the water firm, which supplies seven million people across much of the North West, including Lancashire, enjoyed a more than doubling of pre-tax profits to £779m over the past year.

That is after it hiked bills by 9% last month, adding about £57 to people’s annual bills, under five-year plans agreed with Ofwat that will reportedly see bills rise by a total of 32%.

Wallace said: “It beggars belief that bills are rising to make up for decades of underinvestment since privatisation, while private profits have soared.

“Nothing will change until the privatised water industry is fundamentally restructured for public benefit.

“Anything less risks continuing the normalisation of environmental harm on an industrial scale.”

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The Lancashire Lead asked United Utilities to justify price hikes for customers.

It said it has “built the most comprehensive support scheme in the sector” to help those “struggling to pay their bills”.

It added: “This year, we will help 422,000 households across the North West, with a target to help one in six customers with their bills by 2030.”

But it did not address residents who can afford to pay but are still being stung by the surge in costs.

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At a time when trust in politicians is at an all time low, many try to present their most authentic selves in an effort to appeal.

Every time you see a politician with a pint, this is exactly the vibe they are going for.

But since generative AI stepped into the picture, that approach has been at risk. Because if your image is edited, and your words not written by you, how can you present as authentic?

And there are deeper concerns about the impact on democracy, all unpicked in today’s edition.

To celebrate two years of The Lancashire Lead, we are offering 30% off our annual subscriptions, making it more affordable than ever to support proper journalism in our county. This deal ends by the next edition. Help to keep us going here.

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Lancashire briefing

🌹 A big thank you to everyone who attended the hustings on Monday night in Preston, organised by ourselves, Blog Preston and The Lancashire Post. Representatives from Labour, Lib Dem, Reform UK, Conservative and the Greens all spoke in what was, for the most part, and open and constructive debate ahead of 7 May’s Preston City Council elections. Full coverage will follow.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 The majority of Preston families who need to adapt their homes to help them care for disabled children face “significant shortfalls” in the financial support they will receive from the state, it has been claimed. A meeting of Preston City Council heard that 21 households with children who have complex needs are currently awaiting the outcome of applications for disabled facilities grants (DFGs) from the authority. The Liberal Democrat main opposition group at the town hall warned that the funding provided would be insufficient in most cases – and blamed a recent policy change in Preston that reduced the maximum amount that could be awarded from £50,000 to £30,000. However, the Labour administration defended the new cap, claiming that it enabled more people to receive help under a scheme that had previously been running out of money in the first half of each year.

🌳 Three Ribble Valley councillors have defected to Reform UK. One claims Britain is in a ‘complete mess’ and he joined Reform partly because his father, who fought in the Second World War, ‘would have been shocked’ at issues today. Ian Brown and Derek Brocklehurst, both formerly independents, and Richard Newmark, who was a Conservative, have all moved to Reform. It means the council now has four Reform councillors, including Stephen Atkinson, who moved to Reform last year and is also Lancashire County Council’s leader. But the Ribble Valley remains Conservative-led. Of 40 borough councillors, there now 16 Conservatives, six Lib-Dems, five Labour, four Green & Progressive Liberals, four Reform UK and five independents. Its political make-up has changed a lot in just a few years, including the arrival of Green and Labour councillors.

🗳️ A group of independent Preston politicians has severed ties with the new socialist party co-founded by Jeremy Corbyn – with one of them branding it “a dreadful waste of a fantastic opportunity”. The trio – who operate under the ‘Preston Independents’ banner and sit as part of the main opposition group on Lancashire County Council – signed up to join Your Party shortly after it was formed by the ex-Labour leader and fellow former Labour MP Zarah Sultana last summer. They briefly considered fully subsuming themselves into the new party once it was formally established, but the broader Preston Independents collective – which has around 55 active members in the city – later settled on retaining their local identity and autonomy, while allowing individuals within the grouping to choose whether to also hold Your Party membership. That decision followed a fractious launch for the new party – and repeated fallings-out between Corbyn and Sultana. Now, however, the three independents elected to County Hall to represent various parts of Preston have walked away from the fledgling left-wing movement altogether.

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Local politicians relying on AI risk deepening ‘very high’ mistrust in democracy

By Luke Beardsworth

Politicians communicating using generative AI are risking deepening the already ‘very high’ mistrust in democracy.

That is the verdict from multiple academics spoken by The Lancashire Lead after the growth in local politicians in the county using programmes like ChatGPT to post on social media.

The way that those politicians use AI varies greatly in regularity and use but our research shows that one councillor in Preston used it to generate the vast majority of their written posts - often to attack political rivals.

Others may use it to generate graphics or to edit photos of themselves to create a more flattering or polished version of themselves - including Reform UK’s deputy leader at Lancashire County Council Simon Evans.

Filip Bialy is a Research Associate within Digital Campaigning and Electoral Democracy (DiCED) project at the University of Manchester. His research looks at the impacts of AI on the processes of politics and he co-authored ‘The first TikTok election? Social media, generative AI, and data-driven campaigning in the 2024 UK General Election’.

He told The Lancashire Lead that there are several concerns raised by the wider use of AI in politics.

He said: “First, the very fact that the content is AI-generated, rather than crafted by humans, may result in the production and publication of erroneous, if not entirely false, messages. This is why larger political campaigns might be reluctant to use generative AI without proper human oversight that limits the risk of politically costly mistakes.

“Second, over-reliance on AI in political communication, at a time when mistrust in democracy is already very high, may result in even greater distrust in politicians and political institutions among voters. It could also be counterproductive, as voters seem to value authenticity in their politicians.”

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He added that the government is considering requiring the labelling of AI-generated content. But he also believes that there would be no incentive for politicians to be transparent on the matter and that, as AI content continues to improve and therefore harder to detect, it may end up not feasible.

Aidy Riggott is the Conservative leader at County Hall. While the majority of his colleagues were unseated by Reform UK candidates in the 2025 Lancashire County Council elections, he saw off the challenge by 30 votes.

He said that he thinks authenticity in online politics is important and makes it easier for residents to spot him if he’s out in the real world.

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Today we provide some context to a story published by online outrage generator The Telegraph a week ago - about the trust which runs Royal Preston Hospital.

At our titles, we have no problem whatsoever in highlighting failures at hospital trusts when they happen. The public deserves to know when failures happen and what is being done to address them. Over at The Blackpool Lead, we have done this extensively and will continue to do so.

But sometimes we see the nationals peer into our county, publish something which stretches the truth to breaking point, and have to look into it. So that’s what we’ve done.

And no, nobody has been banned from saying ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’. But you probably knew that bit.

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Lancashire briefing

🕳️ One of Lancashire County Council’s own members is aiming to take the authority to court over the condition of the roads that it is responsible for maintaining. County Cllr Michael Lavalette, an independent who represents the Preston Central East division, is searching for a solicitor willing to mount a so-called ‘class action’, designed to recover the cost of vehicle damage caused by potholes. He said that the Progressive Lancashire main opposition group – of which he is a part – wants to increase the chances of success for individual motorists who make claims against the county council after ending up out of pocket as a result of defects in the road. The Reform UK-run authority stresses on the form that drivers have to complete as part of that process that the majority of such compensation attempts are “successfully defended” – in other words, County Hall does not have to pay out.

🩺 Accident and emergency patients at the Royal Preston Hospital wait less time for a bed on a ward when medics are on strike, new research has found. A study by Lancaster University discovered that admissions from the emergency department (ED) came, on average, five hours quicker during stoppage periods than on non-strike days. The biggest improvements were seen when it was resident doctors – previously known as junior doctors – and consultants who had walked out. Sixty-one days of NHS industrial action were assessed between January 2022 and April 2024 – 40 involving resident doctors, 11 concerning nursing staff, 10 related to consultants and seven by ambulance workers. Resident doctor and consultant strikes coincided on four occasions in that timeframe, which saw an unprecedented number of walkouts in long-running disputes across the health service over pay and conditions. The median waiting time for admission to the Royal Preston from its A&E fell from 18 hours 4 minutes during ordinary periods of operation to 13 hours exactly when strikes were on. The study examined the waits only of those ED patients who were subsequently taken into hospital after their visit, not those who were discharged from – or passed away in – the department.

💩 The Environment Agency (EA) has responded to claims that it is not fit for purpose and has not adequately monitored air quality at a stinking landfill site on the Fylde coast. The government body acts as the primary environmental regulator for operational landfill sites in England and for the past two years has been monitoring the Jameson Road Landfill Site in Fleetwood. Long-suffering residents have had to put up with odorous emissions from the site, run by Transwaste Recycling and Aggregates Ltd, for two years and have called for the site to close. Aside from the vile stench of rotten eggs, some residents have complained of nosebleeds, headaches and breathing problems. Despite the complaints, EA says it is holding Transwaste to account.

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No, a Lancashire hospital has not banned staff from saying ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’

By Luke Beardsworth

A hospital trust in Lancashire found itself unexpectedly in the news this week after GB News, the Daily Express and LancsLive all followed the Daily Telegraph in publishing a story which screamed words and phrases had been ‘banned’ to avoid offending foreign patients.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, which runs Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, had carried out the training in 2024 to help staff communicate clearly with all patients under the banner of ‘inclusive language’.

But such phrases are a red rag to the angry bull that is The Telegraph in 2026 and they led on the idea that saying ‘it’s raining cats and dogs is culturally insensitive.

The Lancashire Lead, much like The Telegraph but unlike those gleefully rewrote the original story just enough for Google, obtained the document and - unsurprisingly - found that the section the article focuses on makes zero references to offending anyone.

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Instead, it warns that some phrases which may seem every day - like ‘its raining cats and dogs’ - may not be understood and therefore the advice is to avoid them.

No words are banned in the document.

Speaking with The Lancashire Lead this week, a spokesperson for the trust said: “Points made within The Telegraph’s initial article, and in those that have since run off the back of it, are misleading in a number of ways.

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Posts described as ‘misogynistic, sexist, racist, homophobic and ageist’ by a Reform UK candidate in Blackburn won’t be enough to see him suspended.

The reason given? Reform UK believes in freedom of speech. That’s the topic of today’s edition.

In other quick Lancashire Lead news, Preston residents are to get a chance to grill the political leaders whose parties will be battling it out at next month’s local elections.

The event – co-hosted by ourselves and the Local Democracy Reporting Service along with Blog Preston and the Lancashire Post – will take place at the Cotton Court Business Centre, on Church Street, on Monday 27 April between 7pm and 9pm.

You can register here.

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Lancashire briefing

🩺 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has been in the news this week after the Express, GB News and checks notes The Lancashire Post picked up on the story “broken” by The Telegraph that staff had been told not to use certain phrases (such as ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’) to avoid offending foreign patients. Of course, ‘offending foreign patients’ are the Telegraph’s choice of words, rather than that featured in document which has now been reported on 16 months after it was first published. Given the very real pressures faced by the health service, it makes some sense that staff would be advised to use language that cannot be confused. Unsurprisingly, that’s exactly what the trust said when it commented: “It is well known that certain informal phrases or idioms are not always easily understood by everyone, including people with autism or whose first language is not English, so it makes sense to raise awareness of this. This helps ensure that within our busy hospitals, communications with our patients and colleagues are as clear and effective as possible.”

🪏 There are not yet any confirmed tenants for a major industrial, retail and leisure development planned for South Ribble – almost two-and-a-half years after it was given the green light. The ‘Lancashire Central’ scheme was devised by Lancashire County Council for a site at Cuerden, which was once earmarked for a new IKEA store. The blueprint for the project – on land close to where the M6 and M65 motorways meet – was granted planning permission in December 2023, just over five years after the furniture retailer ditched its vision for the plot. The local authority – and joint applicant Maple Grove Developments – claimed that the new plans would create up to 5,600 full-time jobs and inject an extra £390m into the local economy once the site was complete, which was then due to be in seven years’ time. A proposed five-phase construction timetable was set out – with three of the stages due to have started in 2023/24 and the remaining two planned for 2027 and 2028. However, building work is yet to begin and it is understood the scheme officially remains at the “pre-development” stage while a search for would-be occupiers continues.

🚧 A first phase of safety work on gravestones at four Rossendale cemeteries has been completed, after the tragic death of a boy last year when part of a memorial fell on him. Eli Testa, who was aged four, suffered fatal injuries last summer at Rawtenstall Cemetery, which is managed by Rossendale Council. Emergency services rushed to the incident but the youngster could not be saved. Rossendale Council expressed its deep sadness at the tragedy and said it would work with other agencies to understand the circumstances. The incident also prompted other councils to check their cemeteries too. Across Rossendale, the borough council manages four different cemeteries in Rawtenstall, Bacup, Whitworth and Haslingden. The sites were all opened in the late 1800s or early 1900s and remain in use. The council has just completed the first phase of temporary measures. In an update, a spokesperson said: “The initial stage of work has involved inspecting memorials and making them temporarily safe for visitors. Now, we have commenced the next phase of work, which focuses on making memorials permanently safe. This may include setting stones upright, laying them flat or levelling the surrounding ground to improve accessibility, while keeping inscriptions visible wherever possible. This work represents an important step in ensuring safer and more-welcoming cemeteries for everyone visiting loved ones.”

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Reform UK candidate won’t be suspended over ‘n’ word social media post

By Bill Jacobs

A Labour boss has called for Reform UK’s candidate in Blackburn South-East Andy Mahon to be suspended over a series of social media posts.

They include the use of the ‘n’ word, sexist and offensive remarks about new Green MP for Gorton and Denton and plumber Hannah Spencer, and references to former Labour deputy leader and Ashton-under Lyne MP Angela Rayner being overweight.

The now deleted Facebook posts on his personal Andrew Fishwick Mahon account also include homophobic remarks about health secretary Wes Streeting and posts to suggest Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would appoint paedophiles such as Gary Glitter and Jeffery Epstein as ministers.

Blackburn with Darwen Labour Party Local Government Committee chair Cllr Damian Talbot has called on Reform UK to suspend Mr Mahon after a ward resident sent him pictures of the posts.

But the chairman of its Blackburn branch, Tommy Temperley, has declined saying: “Reform UK believes in freedom of speech.”

The Lancashire Lead reached out to Reform UK’s national office to clarify that verdict but did not receive a response.

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Potholes are never far from the minds of voters - how can they be when every journey is a reminder?

No party at Lancashire County Council could solve the issue completely - even if Reform UK did campaign on precisely that when they said they would ‘fill every pothole’.

The reality is the £650m backlog in road repairs is beyond the means of the authority.

But the roads are, today, in a particularly bad state and critics believe the issue has gotten worse, not better.

The reason given for that is - the weather. But how accurate are claims that we had ‘one of the wettest winters on record’.

For Lancashire, not even slightly.

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Lancashire briefing

✂️ The new incarnation of Preston’s Old Tram Bridge will open on 22 May, the city council has announced. The long-awaited confirmation of the opening date comes less than 24 hours after a council meeting at which the authority quashed what cabinet member for community wealth building Valerie Wise described as a “rumour” that the structure would be accessible to the public before the official ceremonial opening had taken place. She said that was “not true”. It was revealed earlier this month that the second half of May was being eyed for the opening after delays to remaining paint works caused by the wet weather since the start of the year. The cross-river connection between Avenham Park and Penwortham was cut in February 2019 after an inspection found that the previous bridge was at risk of sudden collapse. Work on the £8.2m replacement started in the summer of 2024 after funding was secured the previous year as part of Preston City Council’s bid for cash from the government’s Levelling Up Fund. That followed a local campaign for the project to be included in the proposed schemes to be pitched to ministers. The authority says further details of the opening event will follow in the coming weeks.

🗳️ Political parties have reacted to the resignation of a Green councillor in Lancaster which is expected to spark a by-election. Isabella Metcalfe-Riener, who was also a university student, was elected two years ago but is now moving away for work. According to the Green Party, she she has made a valuable contribution to Lancaster politics and, especially, in representing young people. Her party also said she played an important role in helping Green MP Hannah Spencer’s recent by-election victory in Manchester. However, the Labour Party now claims Lancaster residents ‘deserve a full-time councillor’. And Labour has questioned the ex-councillor’s attendance at meetings and the length of term served by her. Isabella was elected by voters in the Castle ward in the city centre while studying on a post-graduate course at Lancaster University. Now, a by-election is expected on Thursday, May 21.

🍎 Plans to develop Bacup Market have been approved by Rossendale Council, including a landmark wooden canopy and amphitheatre events space. Councillors say the plan’s approval marks a ‘significant milestone’ in the town centre’s regeneration. The aim is to attract more visitors to Bacup and encourage people to stay longer in the town centre, day and night. The current market site is on a triangle-shaped plot behind taller buildings, with narrow access and a low visual profile. But the planned new timber canopy will provide shelter for market traders and visitors, and its height and appearance will attract people too, the council says. Below will be new seating and a public amphitheatre space to create a ‘distinctive focal point’, And the movement of people throughout the wider town centre will be improved, with some of old market units being demolished to create more space and better access from the surrounding streets and lanes.

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Potholes blamed on ‘one of the wettest winters’ - but it rained less than usual

By Luke Beardsworth

The state of Lancashire’s roads being attributed to ‘one of the wettest winters on record’ is not an accurate statement.

That is the verdict of analysis by The Lancashire Lead after working with the Met Office this week.

The Reform UK administration at Lancashire County Council has been under fire from opposition councillors - and the public - for much of this year due to the amount of potholes on the roads.

Cllr Azhar Ali, leader of the Progressive Lancashire official opposition – a coalition of independents and the Green Party – said in February of the current condition of Lancashire’s roads that residents were “sick and tired of replacing their damaged suspension [and getting] punctures [and] ripped tyres”.

And Cllr Mark Jewell, the Lib Dem who represents Preston South West, has accused Reform of breaking a pre-election pledge to fill “every pothole”. He added: “We have seen potholes like craters on the moon on our streets.

“This is, in part, due to the ‘blobbing’ repairs undertaken by the previous administration that are now falling…[but we] also need to invest more money for more targeted repairs to get on top of the sorry state of our roads. Do it once, do it properly.”

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The answer back from County Hall - from elected members of Reform UK and the authority itself - has been to repeatedly blame a particularly wet winter for the damage to the roads.

Cllr Goldsworthy, Reform UK’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said in February that ‘the roads are in a terrible state and have been since Christmas.’

He added: “I get [that] it’s a stick to beat [us] with, but…the last 6-8 weeks have done terrible damage – and we will get on top of it.”

And a spokesperson for the County Council said this month: “We know people are frustrated by the number of potholes after one of the wettest winters on record, which has caused widespread damage to road surfaces.”

But by every metric, the claim that Lancashire has had one of the wettest winters on record is untrue.

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While the Southport murders did not happen with Lancashire County Council’s area, the murderer lived in Banks which is in West Lancashire.

That means that Lancashire County Council’s involvement with him prior to the attack has come under the microscope.

And it was found that there was a ‘notable lack of appreciation’ of the need to address the risk the murderer potentially could cause ahead of the attack.

We look at the findings in today’s edition.

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Lancashire briefing

🕳️ Urgent demands have been made for flooding to be tackled on the M65 in east Lancashire, ‘before any more loss of life or injuries’. Pendle councillors from different parties have called on Lancashire County Council to sort-out drainage problems on the M65’s eastern section, which they say causes flooding in heavy rain. The M65 has seen a number of accidents in recent years including a seven-car smash near Blackburn last month. The motorway is maintained by National Highways from Preston to Junction 10 at Burnley and by Lancashire County Council between Junction 10 and 14 at Colne. Pendle councillors have called for specific action on the section towards Junction 14, where they believe drain problems and a lack of lighting at night are creating hazards for drivers.

🩺 West Lancashire councillors are again challenging NHS bosses over plans to move children’s accident and emergency care from Ormskirk General Hospital to Southport. Last month, new regional integrated care boards (ICBs) for the NHS in Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside decided to relocate children’s A&E services from Ormskirk to Southport, aiming to create a 24/7 service with existing adult A&E care. NHS chiefs believe it will bring various long-term benefits for patients, hospital facilities and medical staff. And they held a public consultation on ideas last year. Currently, Ormskirk District Hospital has women and children’s services including A&E, surgery and maternity. Adult A&E services were moved to Southport in the past. However, West Lancashire councillors have raised concerns at various meetings, especially about local access and travel distances to A&E care. Now, the Our West Lancashire (OWL) group of councillors are calling on council chiefs to contact health authorities and local MPs about the issue.

📚 Almost 450 homes are to be built in a Preston suburb after after a major new estate was given the go-ahead – but there is no indication of when a primary school promised for the same site will be delivered. Preston City Council’s planning committee approved the development on land between William Young Way and Maxy House Road in Cottam. The properties will range from one to four bedrooms in size across a variety of house types. The blueprint for that expansion – adopted back in 2017 – stipulated that land should be set aside for two primary schools on a pair of plots within the new housing zone, which sits south of the M55 and also includes Higher and Lower Bartle and Lightfoot Green. It is understood that Lancashire County Council has no immediate plans for construction and decisions will be taken in line with demand.

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What could Lancashire County Council have done differently before Southport murders?

By Paul Faulkner

A Lancashire-led probe into the contact between local agencies and Southport killer Axel Rudakubana could be scrapped.

It comes after publication of the first of two reports from the national public inquiry set up in the wake of the murders, in July 2024, of Bebe King, who was six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, and nine-year old Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Police were amongst several public sector bodies whose involvement with Rudakubana prior to his attack – at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the coastal town – has been put under the microscope as part of the inquiry process.

A dozen recommendations have been made to the county council for actions it should now take in response to the findings of the first-phase report – which was published on Monday (13 April) – while the police force has received seven.

In January last year – less than a week after the then 18-year-old Rudakubana, from the village of Banks in West Lancashire, pleaded guilty to the murders – it was announced that a local child safeguarding practice review (CSPR) was to take place.

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, had already said – within 24 hours of the guilty pleas – that an independent public inquiry would be carried out into the atrocity.

As a result, Lancashire County Council had to liaise with the government over how – and whether – the national inquiry could affect the local review.

It is understood that the Lancashire CSPR was paused shortly afterwards, before fully getting under way.

While the review has not officially been cancelled, the expectation among the agencies spearheading the process is understood to be that the public inquiry will supersede the work that they had been planning to undertake.

However, a final decision on the future of the CSPR will not be made until the national inquiry concludes.

Inquiry chair Sir Adrian Fulford said on Monday that he expected its second phase to take roughly as long as the first, which lasted 12 months.

As part of CSPR – commissioned by the Lancashire Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership – a trio of experts were set to examine the roles of the raft of services that dealt with Rudakubana in the years before he went on the rampage in Southport at the age of 17.

The partnership – made up of Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Constabulary and the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board – exists to improve how agencies work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It requests CSPRs in an attempt to learn from incidents in which children have been harmed – and to reduce the risk of similar cases happening in future.

However, that is also one of the primary purposes of the nationwide inquiry, which has been exploring the roles of the county council’s children’s social care and education services, the police, the NHS and the counter-terrorism strategy Prevent during the period from when Rudakubana’s behaviour began to “markedly deteriorate” in September 2019 through to the day of the killings on 29th July, 2024.

Speaking at Liverpool Town Hall on Monday, Sir Adrian said that “if the relevant agencies, individually and collectively, had properly managed and responded to the known danger that AR [Rudakubana] posed to others – from December 2019 onwards – it is highly likely that this event would not have occurred”.

“There would instead have been a range of entirely different outcomes, which would have included AR being taken into care as being beyond his parents’ control – which he was – or into custody, for instance, as a result of his production or attempted production of the poison ricin.

“History simply would have taken a different course,” Sir Adrian added.

The near 800-page report condemned the “failure of any organisation or multi-agency arrangement to take ownership of the risk that AR posed”, as reflected by the “disturbing lack of clarity as to who, if anyone, was the lead agency, which persisted through the inquiry’s hearings”.

“Witnesses in appropriate positions were asked who was responsible for AR’s risk. There was no consistent response,” the document explained.

Sir Adrian’s first recommendation is that the second phase of his own inquiry should “consider what single agency or structure should be appointed or established to record, monitor and co-ordinate interventions for children and young people who present a high risk of serious harm”.

His report also noted what were described as “significant parental failures” – notwithstanding the pressure that Sir Adrian acknowledged Rudakubana’s mother and father were under as a result of their son’s deteriorating behaviour.

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Any decision on the future of at-risk day centres in Lancashire will not be made until the back end of the year - despite repeated warnings about the impact of uncertainty.

Reform UK, either in response to ‘scaremongering’ or campaigning depending on your political persuasion, confirmed earlier this year that five full-time care homes would not close as part of its care review.

But while that decision was welcomed, it left the future of five day centres at risk and there have been numerous calls for clarity since then.

That clarity is now not expected to come until at least the Autumn. We unpick why in today’s edition.

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🗣️ Pendle Council’s leader says he ‘resents’ implications that public consultation about how a £1.5m government grant should be spent in towns and villages has not been robust. Lib Dem Cllr David Whipp said ‘virtually every community’ in Pendle has been involved in discussing the government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund. The scheme offering grants for short-term projects to boost communities, public spaces and high streets. He strongly rejected Conservative claims that some projects have been overlooked, including in Colne and Foulridge, or town master-plans have been ignored. Also, he rejected suggestions that councillors on Pendle’s joint Lib-Dem-Independent executive have influenced decisions or not scrutinised officers’ recommendations. Under the Impact Fund, Pendle is earmarked £1.5m. Some local ideas have been short-listed but local MP Jonathan Hinder recently called for a pause. That came after Earby Town Council claimed the borough was ‘dismissing’ local preferences and proposing ‘unwanted’ alternatives. At the latest full council, Conservative opposition leader Ash Sutcliffe raised questions about the fund, the council’s scoring system to short-list projects and the executive’s scrutiny.

⛴️ A campaigner said he is ‘truly gobsmacked’ after two authorities appeared to confirm the end of the Fleetwood to Knott End ferry. Wyre Council co-funds the service with Lancashire County Council but said this week that, despite an apparent agreement that it would run for three more years, it would end on 15 April. The authority said that discussions with Wyre Marine Services, who are the current operator, continue but that no compliant tenders have been received. Anton Arenko, who has campaigned for the ferry to continue, said: “I’m very confused how, despite our campaigning, they’ve allowed this to happen, I and the public were led to believe we were successful and a contract had been secured for another three years.”

🎆 The hunt will begin within months for the person who will spearhead preparations for the next Preston Guild – even though the event itself is another six years away. The once-in-20-year city celebration comes around again in 2032 – and Preston City Council has now started drawing up the job description for what it says will be a “unique position”. The authority agreed 12 months ago to begin gearing up for the Guild – which dates back 800 years – sooner than it would otherwise have done, because of a huge shake-up on the horizon for local government in Lancashire. The changes mean that Preston City Council will be wiped from the map in 2028 – along with the county’s 14 other main local authorities. They will be replaced by new standalone councils covering much larger areas than the districts and boroughs that are set to bite the dust. It means there will be no authority solely dedicated to Preston – and, against that backdrop, the current city council moved to ensure that plans for the festival would be well under way by the time of its demise. As part of that process, it established its usual Guild committee to oversee the lead-up to the jamboree – but across a seven-year timespan rather than the usual four or five.

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Day centre decision not expected until late 2026

By Luke Beardsworth

Those concerned about the future of five day centres in Lancashire will now not receive an update until after the local elections.

People living in Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Chorley, Hyndburn, Pendle and West Lancashire will all go to the polls on 7 May after a protracted row over whether they should be scrapped to allow for focus on local government reorganisation.

Five Lancashire County Council-run day centres are under review for potential closure or reprovision. They were placed at risk alongside five full-time care homes but Reform UK, who lead Lancashire County Council, announced in January that they would not. They said this decision was made to prevent ‘speculation’ but came after high-profile demonstrations in Preston.

The day centres potentially at risk are Byron View in Colne, The Derby Centre in Ormskirk, Milbanke Day Centre in Kirkham, Teal Close in Thornton Cleveleys and Vale View in Lancaster.

It was initially expected that conversation about their future would begin in April, but it is understood that timescale has now been pushed back as a result of the local elections.

Before local elections, authorities enter a pre-election period sometimes known as purdah. This essentially means that local government will not make any announcements about any new or controversial initiatives which could be advantageous to any candidates in an election.

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The future of the day centres is a Lancashire County Council issue and the elections in May are for district and borough councils. But the early pre-election sparring on social media acknowledges that local politicians and candidates are not shy about campaigning around issues outside of the authority for which they are standing for election - most notably potholes.

It is a call for non-elected officers at Lancashire County Council as to whether an issue would have an impact on elections. Given the strength of feeling around the future of the day centres, even Reform UK’s opposition concede postponing talks is likely a fair decision. If they were saved, it would likely prove advantageous to Reform UK candidates. If they were expected to close, it would be advantageous for their opposition.

The issue has been highly contentious ever since the review was launched by Lancashire County Council. Of particular note was that a timeframe was set out that included the closure of the care homes. Reform UK has accused the opposition of ‘scaremongering’ around the issue despite Cllr Graham Dalton, its cabinet member for adult social care, telling the BBC that closure was a possibility.

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When Border Force officials ordered Global Trailer Rentals (GTR) to hand over cash for the return of a trailer that was stopped in Lancashire and found to contain beer and not, as was claimed, frozen meals, the firm thought it a little unfair.

They were, after all, just a firm that leases out trailers and had historically done everything they could to comply with police investigations when they happen.

Today’s edition tells the story of the legal row and the history behind it.

The Lancashire Lead is two years old this month. To celebrate that, we are offering 30% off our annual subscriptions, making it more affordable than ever to support proper journalism in our county. The deal isn’t around forever. Help to keep us going here.

Lancashire briefing

🏥 The purchase of the final part of the preferred site for a new Royal Preston Hospital was made possible after the government released funding that had first been committed when the facility was set to be built far sooner. Local NHS leaders announced last week that they had acquired the provisional plot – off Stanifield Lane in the Farington area of South Ribble – for a hospital whose doors are not expected to open until the early-mid 2040s. The first tranche of land needed for the new-build was bought in late 2024, at which point construction work was expected to begin in 2030 and be completed by the middle of that decade. However, when that deal was done, the timeframe for building the facility had already been put under review by the new Labour government, which had accused its Conservative predecessors of failing to fund a commitment to a claimed “40 new hospitals” nationwide – of which the Royal Preston was one. In January 2025, health secretary Wes Streeting announced that the start date for the scheme had been pushed back to between 2037 and 2039 – meaning the new hospital would not be treating patients for the best part of 20 years. However, the NHS was nevertheless permitted to draw down the finance to secure the remaining part of the 64-acre site last month.

🐴 Progress on building the Eden Project Morecambe has taken a ‘major leap forward’ with the appointment of a company for the next phase of work, bosses say. VINCI Building has been announced as the main contractor for the next stage of design development and construction at the Morecambe site. It follows planning approval being granted in February for a revised Eden design, featuring two main shell-shaped domes, gardens, sea walls and a ’causeway’ entrance. The first phase of work is expected to be 1.5 acres of landscaped gardens, due to open in early 2027, ahead of the site’s full opening in 2028. In a new announcement, the Eden Project said VINCI Building has extensive experience in delivering complex, large-scale projects. With strong technical capability across constrained and challenging environments, the company will bring ‘engineering expertise, rigorous planning and collaborative delivery’ for quality and safety, Eden bosses said. VINCI was appointed through a competitive tender process using the North West Construction Hub, which raises awareness of council and public sector contracts to building companies which might want to submit bids

🕳️ A motorbike-riding councillor from Chorley has warned that the number of potholes on Lancashire’s roads is putting the lives of two-wheeled travellers like him at risk. Cllr Matthew Lynch says bikers are uniquely vulnerable to crumbling carriageways – and the depth of many of the defects found on them – in ways that other road users are not. The Labour councillor, who represents the Chorley North West ward on Chorley Council, is not without sympathy for highways bosses at Reform UK-run Lancashire County Council, because of the difficulty he acknowledges they face in prioritising repairs. However, he believes the authority could be doing a far better job – and says the contrast on his regular journeys across the border into the separate Blackburn with Darwen Council area is stark. The county council expects to spend at least £28m fixing potholes that appear during the course of the 2026/27 financial year. A further £21m has been set aside for pre-planned resurfacing projects across more than 100 routes selected for ordinary maintenance.

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Firm linked to lorry migrant tragedy wins fight over unfair trailer fee after Lancashire seizure

By Michael Holmes

A trailer rental firm inadvertently caught up in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants was told to pay a four-figure sum to get back a trailer seized in Lancashire for having an illicit load of booze - with the tragedy wrongly brought up, a court has ruled.

Border Force officials ordered Global Trailer Rentals (GTR) to hand over £1,000 for the return of a refrigerated trailer that was stopped at Heysham and found to contain more than 25,000 litres of beer and not, as was claimed, frozen meals.

But the firm, which leases out almost 200 trailers, has successfully argued at a tribunal that the finding was unfair - especially as its co-operation with authorities after the 2019 atrocity in Essex led to the prosecution of those responsible.

GTR contacted Essex police directly to give them information about the person and the company leasing the trailer, media reports from the time say.

And it pledged to hand over data from its tracking system, with bosses saying they were “shellshocked” at the news and “gutted” one of their vehicles was used in that way.

It did not respond to a request for a comment from The Lancashire Lead.

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Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.

I hope you’re having a peaceful Easter Bank Holiday and Storm Dave has not proven to be as disruptive as an amber warning from the Met Office might suggest.

The Lancashire Lead is two years old this month. For those of you who don’t mark the passage of time with the sending of newsletters, that might not be surprising. But it’s two years that have blown by.

In that time we have generated thousands of subscribers, reads, shares and even won an award in the Autumn for the quality of journalism we have produced. It’s been a privilege to write for you.

The reality though, is that we need more people willing to pay for our journalism if we’re to ensure our future.

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Already this year, we have broken the news that Reform UK withdrew all of its libraries from the Library of Sanctuary scheme and that the deputy leader of the party at Lancashire County Council was forced to apologise for sharing content calling for a Labour MP to be shot. Both stories made the front page of national news websites. Both stories started with reporting here at The Lancashire Lead.

The Lead

Prime Minister calls for deputy council leader to be sacked over death threat to MP social post

The Prime Minister has called on Reform UK to sack a deputy council leader over a death threat to an MP he re-shared on social media…

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3 months ago · 4 likes · The Lead Editors and The Lead

We have covered the closure of Guy’s Thatched Hamlet (now just The Thatched Hamlet), the development of the Eden Project in Morecambe, the cancellation and uncancellation of elections, the planned redundancies at Lancashire County Council, councillors having flags raised by DBS checks and the crisis in SEND provision in Lancashire.

In almost every example, we are the news provider doing the most to cut through politician bluster to give you the human impact of decisions made. And we always do it without adverts, and completely free from misleading headlines and clickbait.

And with elections now around a month away, we have plenty to keep us busy over the coming weeks.

To celebrate two years, we are offering 30% off our annual subscriptions, making it more affordable than ever to support proper journalism in our county. The deal isn’t around forever. Help to keep us going here.

Thank you for reading and we’ll be back with a full edition on Wednesday.

Luke.

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For three minutes an SOS alert from an iPhone sat open in the Lancashire force control room.

It came from the car of Nadeem Hussain who had died after the car he was driving crashed down an embankment. Police say he died on impact.

That SOS message was closed after three minutes by Lancashire Police after they could not connect to Nadeem’s phone as there was no answer.

For the next 28 hours his family were the ones to search and eventually locate the body of the father-of-three who had remained hidden from view close to Junction 9 of the M61.

The 37-year-old’s family say they want to see an independent investigation into the circumstances leading up to and immediately after Nadeem’s death - despite the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) saying it should only be investigated locally.

As local journalists we’ve been asking questions as to how it is possible for a fatal crash to go undiscovered for 28 hours.

It perhaps says something that when that was confirmed by police it was met with a shrug by many, is that how desensitised we have become as a society?

The Lancashire Lead is two years old this month. To celebrate that, we are offering 30% off our annual subscriptions, making it more affordable than ever to support proper journalism in our county. The deal isn’t around forever. Help to keep us going here.

Lancashire briefing

🩺 The NHS has purchased the final plot of land needed to build a new Royal Preston Hospital – even though construction work is not due to begin for more than a decade. The deal, with Lancashire County Council, means health chiefs now have full control of their preferred site for the facility, in the Farington area of South Ribble – eight miles from the hospital’s current home in Fulwood. The provisional location – off Stanifield Lane, close to the junction of the M6 and M65, where a new IKEA store had once been planned – was announced in December 2024. A public consultation into the move launched the following month, but was abandoned just a fortnight later after the Labour government delayed the start date for the estimated £2bn development to sometime between 2037 and 2039. It had previously been expected that the state-of-the-art new service would be open by the mid-2030s.

🏠 The leader of Lancaster City Council has met residents of a housing estate earmarked for regeneration to discuss concerns about progress. And she hopes to hold a special meeting about housing plans soon, following work with national organisations. Caroline Jackson gave the updates when she faced fresh questions about prospects for Lancaster’s Mainway estate and the former Skerton school site at the city council’s latest full meeting. Councillors are keen for progress because Lancashire councils face possible mergers or abolition in changes expected in 2028. The city council has ambitions for brand-new homes and flats at Skerton, where planning permission exists for 135 homes and a master-plan vision has been drawn-up for 400 properties in future. The council also wants to regenerate the 1960s Mainway estate, which could include some demolition, home upgrades and new building. But various details, such as potential government cash support alongside council money, and agreements with developers, housing associations or contractors, are yet to be decided.

🏥 An influential group of councillors will ask the government to step in over a controversial decision by NHS bosses to close the children’s accident and emergency unit at Ormskirk Hospital. The facility is to move eight miles away to Southport Hospital in 2029 – a shift that health leaders say is necessary in order to reinstate round-the-clock emergency care for youngsters across West Lancashire and Sefton. However, Lancashire County Council’s health scrutiny committee has now formally requested that health and social care secretary Wes Streeting ‘calls in’ the plans to consider them for himself. He has the power to reverse the change, should he choose to use it. The cross-party group – made up of both county and district councillors – unanimously backed the move seeking his intervention on Monday. Members cited concerns over the process surrounding the NHS decision and questioned whether the shake-up was in “the best interests” of health services in West Lancashire. The young people’s A&E at Ormskirk and District General Hospital currently closes between midnight and 8am – its hours of operation having first been reduced at the height of the pandemic in 2020. There has been no emergency unit for children at Southport and Formby District General Hospital since 2003, while the adult emergency facility at Ormskirk shut in 2005.

Father’s body went undiscovered for 28 hours until family took matters into their own hands - now they want answers

By Ed Walker

The family of a Nelson man who lay dead at the side of the M61 for 28 hours before being discovered have urged the police watchdog to look at the actions of Lancashire Constabulary.

Nadeem Hussain died on impact - say police - when the Audi A3 he was driving left the motorway at 10pm on Saturday 21 March.

He was not found until shortly before 2am on Monday 23 March when members of his family, having climbed down the side of the motorway themselves, discovered the father-of-three.

His sister Nazma said: “No one is blaming the police for the crash, but for it to take 28 hours and him to be found by us – that is not right.

“It took a group of us, to go and find him and go down that embankment and find Nadeem dead on the side of the motorway. The police must answer about how it came to happen and why it took us to discover him.”

Lancashire Police confirmed they had also received an iPhone SOS message, which is set to trigger on severe impact, to the force control room when the crash took place on the Saturday evening.

A spokesperson said: “An Iphone crash SOS alert message was received by the force control room at shortly after 10pm on Saturday, March 21st but after an attempt to recontact the number this call was closed.”

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Earlier in March, Lancashire County Council predicted the EHCP backlog (the measure by which children with special educational needs and disabilities [SEND] are provided bespoke support) would be cleared by May.

That is some turnaround from the 1,801 overdue assessments in December 2024 and the 2,078 waiting to see an educational psychologist in May 2025.

This has been put down to extra investment by the Reform-led authority since taking control in 2025.

But parents are asking what use it is to clear the backlog if the end result is something that ultimately leads to further conflict between authority and parents?

We’ve spoken to parents who feel they have been issued ‘boiler plate’ EHCPs in recent months and unpicked what might be behind that.

Lancashire briefing

🗣️ A Blackburn councillor who left Labour to sit as an independent over the ‘toxicity’ of modern politics has made a plea for restraint during May’s local elections and called for greater protection for local politicians. Ewood’s Cllr Elaine Whittingham used Blackburn with Darwen’s full Council Forum on Thursday night to issue her appeal in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox. Her intervention followed Hyndburn’s Cllr Jodi Clements making as similar plea for campaigning ‘civility’ in memory of the Labour backbencher killed on her way to a constituency surgery. She finished her speech by saying: “In the long term of history it will be interesting if democracy as we know it survives the onslaught that social media gives to people – broadly people who have nothing to offer than their criticism from their back bedrooms.”

🍺 The licensee of a troubled Rossendale club must close the venue temporarily for 14 days to ‘get things in order’, after accepting there have been problems in recent years. Lee Barrett, premises licence holder for Haslingden Trades Club, said he would follow a new agreement with the police and Rossendale Council at a licensing review. It includes finding a new venue supervisor. The council review on Friday (March 27) came after incidents or accusations made about the Regent Street club last year. These included police finding after-hours drinking and suspected under-age drinkers, and reports of street fighting by women or girls, drugs and anti-social behaviour. Mr Barrett has been the premises licence holder since 2023 and Christopher Butterworth was the designated supervisor. The council licensing review was called by the police after incidents and accusations in 2025. But it followed an earlier review in 2024, when the club’s premises license was suspended for 30 days and bosses were told to improve things.

🛢️ Lancashire residents who rely on heating oil will be able to access more than £450,000 of government support to help with rising bills as a result of the conflict in Iran. The cash is Lancashire County Council’s allocation from a £50m nationwide fund – announced last week – for low-income households that are not connected to the national grid for gas. Around 13,000 homes in the county use heating oil, according to figures from the UK and Ireland Fuel Distributors Association and the Oil Firing Technical Association. The total £454,000 pot will be distributed according to the number of oil-fuelled properties in each borough. Homes in remote rural areas are most likely to be without a grid connection.

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Parents say ‘rushed out in bulk’ EHCPs being used to reduce backlog - despite county council declaring victory

By Luke Beardsworth

Parents and families receiving EHCPs from Lancashire County Council feel they are receiving ‘boiler plate’ plans as the authority prioritises slashing the backlog over the needs of children.

Lancashire County Council declared earlier in March that the backlog of EHCPs it had inherited - forming part of its SEND services that were declared ‘unacceptable’ just over a year ago - would be cleared in less than two months.

A damning Ofsted inspection report in February 2025 said hold-ups in the Lancashire County Council process for issuing new – and updating existing – education, health and care plans (EHCPs) meant some young people were not receiving the help to which they were entitled. Annual reviews of their requirements were sometimes “many years” late, the regulator found.

The authority was at that point led by the Conservatives but Reform UK took control in dominant fashion in the May 2025 local elections. At that point £5.4m was added to the SEND budget and used to help resolve a shortage of educational psychologists by drafting in agency staff.

The result is that the backlog has fallen from over 1,801 overdue in December 2024 to 360 in January of this year.

But frustrated parents who spoke with The Lancashire Lead who have dealt with the authority’s SEND system in the last few months said the plans currently being issued are ‘not worth the paper they are written on’. The authority acknowledges that not all families have the experience they would like.

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Jonathan Thomson, 44 from Clitheroe, received a draft EHCP for his child in December 2025 after initially being told the authority would not carry out an assessment. That decision was reversed by Lancashire County Council after a tribunal was pursued.

He said: “We read it through against the evidence submitted and it didn’t represent what we’d sent to them. It was full of non-committal and non-binding things they were saying the school had to do.

“You’ve got a set number of days to respond, so I pulled that together explaining why I disagreed. We got an email back from the agency worker saying they couldn’t help and directing me to the case worker. They said ‘it’s just my job to get it out’.

“We then got a call from the school saying they had a final draft of the EHCP - we didn’t have it at that stage. When we did get it through and it was almost exactly the same as before, including typos and another child’s name.

“They don’t appear to have taken any acknowledgement of the points that we made. We just don’t know.”

“My impression is there’s a lot of parents going through exactly the same thing. I’m one of thousands of people in Lancashire that are being messed about. All of us have got children that are suffering because of this.”

Jonathan stressed that he has dealt with some ‘really good’ case workers who have been helpful - when he has been successful in actually speaking with them.

But he added: “They’re doing things that are resulting in the backlog going down, but that doesn’t mean that they’re doing the right things - they’re rushing out incomplete, boilerplate EHCPs that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

“The whole point is that it’s a legal framework that holds the education provider to certain things but it’s leaving parents with no way of enforcing it.

“It’s quite clear from the state of the document that they’ve been doing them in bulk to get them out as quickly as possible.”

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When Preston makes the national or world news, it might be due to the Preston Model, Wallace and Gromit, Spud Bros or Tom Finney. Now the city is famous for something different entirely.

That’s because the Corporation Street bus gate is the most lucrative in the entire country, and that fact has been published in The Times.

Opposition politicians have pointed out that while there is an argument to encourage people to use public transport more, if a bus gate is so successful then maybe it isn’t working as intended.

Or perhaps it is. There’s a reported £650m backlog of potholes on Lancashire’s roads that seem to be getting worse, not better.

We unpick the reaction to Preston making unfortunate national headlines this week.

Lancashire briefing

💷 An Ormskirk community group could get £100,000 from a council to repair and promote historic town centre ginnels, understood to reflect medieval street patterns. West Lancashire councillors are being recommended to approve the grant to Ormskirk Community Partnership. Cash would be spent on practical work to enhance the historic alleys and to promote Ormskirk’s history to the public. The Ormskirk Ginnels Project could be formally launched this July at the town’s annual gingerbread festival. But a number of town celebrations are expected this year, which includes Ormskirk Clock Tower’s 150th anniversary and the 740th anniversary of its market. So there could be various opportunities to promote the ginnels. Other groups such as Ormskirk Heritage Hub and Ormskirk and District Family History Society could be involved too. They take part in heritage open days every September.

🏠 A plan for 250 homes in Carnforth has been refused by Lancaster councillors, after fears that it threatened a football club’s activity and wider community needs. There were also concerns the plan failed to consider reopening a nearby Lancaster Canal marina and that residents’ cars from the new homes would add to local congestion. Carnforth Rangers FC was among a number of objectors to the plan by government agency Homes England, for up to 250 houses at the Lundsfield Quarries site, off Kellet Road. Now, Lancaster City Council’s planning committee (on Monday, March 23) has refused the application, against planning officers’ advice. Homes England wanted outline planning permission for 250 homes and bought the land after developer Redrow Homes failed to deliver an earlier scheme some years ago, council planning papers said.

🚧 Furious residents have claimed a town is losing its historic buildings to make way for ‘metal retail units’ – as a landmark structure faces partial demolition. Some people living in Nelson and The Victorian Society have raised concerns about a planning application for Trafalgar House, near Nelson Town Hall. PenBrook Developments wants permission to demolish the back, redevelop the front for new uses and build a 23-space public car park on cleared land. Trafalgar House was originally built as Nelson Technical School and later used by Nelson & Colne College and Lancashire County Council. But it has been empty for years. PenBrook is a joint company created by Pendle Council and developer Brookhouse Group for various Nelson Town Deal projects. These include demolishing and redeveloping Pendle Rise shopping centre and creating a new Nelson & Colne College campus in the nearby ACE office block.

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National embarrassment for Lancashire County Council as bus lane named biggest drain on driver money in UK

By Paul Faulkner

Councillors in Preston have repeated a call for a controversial bus-only zone in the city to be scrapped after it was found to have generated more money in fines than any other such restriction in Britain last year.

The Times reported that the ‘bus gate’ covering a stretch of Corporation Street, near the city centre, raked in almost £1.55m in penalty charge notices (PCNs) for Lancashire County Council during 2025 – an average of just over £4,200 per day.

Based on responses to Freedom of Information requests to local authorities nationwide, the paper said the figure – raised from 47,176 individual fines – made the facility “the most lucrative” bus gate or bus lane in the country.

In second place was a restriction on Bridge Street in central Manchester, which yielded £1.1m for Manchester City Council, with 33,790 PCNs, followed by High Street in Oxford which brought in almost £750k for the city council there thanks to 30,231 fines.

Drivers falling foul of the Corporation Street set-up – which bans through traffic from the short section of the route between Heatley Street and Marsh Lane – boosted County Hall’s coffers by a total of £3.35m in the first 18 months after enforcement began in June 2024.

During that period, the regulation was breached more than 100,000 times – a tally that will include any motorists who got caught out on more than one occasion on the road, which connects the university quarter to Ringway.

At Lancashire County Council’s budget meeting last month, the Liberal Democrat group called on the Reform administration to scrap the bus gate on Corporation Street and a new bus lane on part of New Hall Lane – both of which were approved when the Conservatives were in control of the local authority.

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Barely a week goes without me seeing a borough council being blamed for the state of the roads.

If you’ve read that sentence and thought: “And so they should, they’ve never been worse!” then there’s a good chance this article is for you.

That’s because for most of Lancashire, the roads are not managed by a borough council - they are managed by Lancashire County Council.

It is a daily occurrence - something that worries me given local elections are just over a month away. And while no politician can say they are nailing everything, it would be a shame to see people vote in borough elections in protest of potholes (or other elements they are not responsible for).

This edition unpicks the web of Lancashire’s political network. As always, we encourage you to share it.

Lancashire briefing

🎤 A Morecambe music and events venue in a historic building is set for a new look and branding, and other changes to attract more shows, if two plans are approved. The Platform is home to pop, rock, classical and comedy events, along with other events like craft fairs. It is based in a converted Grade II-listed railway station and near other Morecambe landmarks including the Winter Gardens venue and Midland Hotel. Three years ago, the venue was at the centre of debate when Lancaster City Council, which owns it, said new business models were needed instead of council subsidies. That was part of wider changes which included the closure of two staffed tourist information offices and reviews of other attractions across Morecambe and Lancaster. Now, councillors on the council’s planning committee are to look at two applications. One is for listed building permission for external signs, external redecorations and fitting a vinyl cover on the building’s inside glass ceiling. The other application is for outdoor free-standing and hanging signs, window poster holders and window graphics.

🚔 Construction of a third prison in a Chorley village has moved a step closer after plans for the energy centre needed to power it were given the green light. Chorley Council’s planning committee approved the facility, which will be built alongside the controversial new lock-up in Ulnes Walton, close to the existing Garth and Wymott jails. However, a wrangle over parking for the 1,715-inmate prison – near the border with Leyland – was reignited in the process. The government gave the go-ahead to the category C jail in December 2024, three years after it was refused permission by the local authority – and following an appeal by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) which saw a planning inspector twice recommend that the council’s decision be upheld.

🌳 A town council has accused Pendle Council of ‘dismissing’ local people’s preferences on how a share of a £1.5million government fund is spent – and also for proposing some ‘unwanted’ alternative ideas. Earby Town Council says it is ‘disappointed and disillusioned’ about Pendle’s short-list for the new Pride in Place Impact Fund. Town council ideas include using government cash for more CCTV cameras. But this and some other ideas are not short-listed. Also, the town council does not support some alternatives suggested by Pendle Council, such as some Earby pavement and street furniture work, and work at nearby Earby Memorial Park, also known as Sough Park. And it objects to the borough wanting match-funding towards some projects. However, Pendle Council’s leader has defended the borough’s consultation and its current recommended short-list, which includes five Earby projects. The row centres on the government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund, announced in December. It is intended for community-focused projects to revive high streets and public spaces, and neighbourhood pride.

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Which council does what? Knowing who to blame or praise when things happen in Lancashire

By Luke Beardsworth

“I can’t believe the state of the roads. Shame on you, Preston City Council.”

So goes one of the most regular refrains heard on social media - or similar phrases in pubs - despite the roads having nothing to do with borough councils.

Local politics can sometimes feel deliberately obtuse - especially so in Lancashire.

Some areas have two, or even three, levels of local politics and some have just one. What that means is that there are over 160 different local authorities in the county and there can be significant variations in how it all works from family to family.

Just to take an extreme example - if you live in Clitheroe you may deal with Clitheroe Town Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council. They could all be led by different political parties.

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But then 11 miles down the roads, you might deal with Blackburn with Darwen Council only.

It causes confusion for people. One example I saw recently accused Hyndburn Council of lying about freezing council tax because their bill had gone up. But their bill had gone up because Lancashire County Council had raised its portion of the bill they pay.

And so while local elections have limited use in predicting how any next general election may play out - the confusion means that it is inevitable that some people vote locally to offer a verdict on the performance of the Prime Minister of the day, rather than the performance of their council.

A poll undertaken by Ipsos in 2022 found that 53% of people said they knew either ‘not very much’ or ‘nothing at all’ about the work undertaken by their local councillors.

We will today try to untangle the web of Lancashire’s local politics, and also explain what is coming next.

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Today we report the latest on a widely-backed petition - both from the public and public figures - to support the building of a brand new venue in a city that has been without one for too long.

Preston has The Ferret, New Continental, Vinyl Tap and loads more doing cool things - but for touring artists that might attract thousands to the city centre, there is nowhere.

But the fact remains that both Preston and Blackpool are on the hunt for a new venue - and it seems unlikely that both will get what they want.

It was backed in December 2024 that we exclusively reported Preston City Council was looking at the idea of a new venue - specifically an arena - to replace Preston Guild Hall.

We’ve also covered the idea that this places Blackpool and Preston into competition.

You can see the petition here.

Lancashire briefing

⚡ More than 30 villages and towns in rural parts of Lancashire are set to receive faster broadband as part of a government-backed upgrade. Project Gigabit will see more reliable, full-fibre connections installed in dozens of ‘hard-to-reach’ areas in the county that might otherwise have been left behind. The move – part of a nationwide initiative – has been welcomed by one Lancashire business group, which described it as “essential” for firms based in places that have traditionally struggled with slow internet. The government says what it describes as a “once-in-a-generation” improvement will not only boost businesses, but also enable households to connect multiple devices at gigabit-capable speeds. The scheme is being delivered by Openreach and is expected to next arrive in: Bashall Eaves, Belmont, Blacko, Briercliffe, Clayton-le-Dale, Clitheroe, Great Harwood, Hesketh Bank, Holcombe, Hundred End, Hutton, Inskip, Longton, Mere Brow, Nateby, Oswaldtwistle, Pendleton, Pleasington, Scarisbrick, Scorton, Southfield, Tarleton, Tockholes, Turton, Waddington, West Bradford, Whalley, Whalley Banks and Whittle‑le‑Woods – as well as the rural fringes of Leyland and Ormskirk.

🎥 The ODEON cinema chain says it has no plans to close its Preston multiplex – in spite of a proposal emerging to turn it into a self-storage facility. A planning application has been lodged with Preston City Council for the conversion of the Port Way venue – near the city’s docks – which has been in operation since 1990. Permission for the change of use has been sought by the site’s landowner to prevent the plot from standing empty should the 10-screen cinema be vacated at some point in the future. However, documents submitted to town hall planners on behalf of the unnamed applicant stress “for absolute clarity” that the current occupiers of the premises “have not advised…of any intention to cease operating the building as a cinema”.

🍎 New ideas to spend more cash on Clitheroe Market will be looked at by Ribble Valley councillors. Better guidance for visitors around the town, greenery to enhance ‘stark’ areas and a ‘road train’ for tourists, are all on the cards for investment. Other ideas include new roller doors for market traders’ cabins, a ‘living wall’ of plants, and paying experts for a study on better walking and cycling routes. Councillors on Ribble Valley’s Health & Housing Committee will look at different ideas this month. Previous market improvements have already been made including new stalls in the bull ring area, new canopies on large cabins and upgrades to paving, lighting and toilets. But more council money has been earmarked and a new report for the committee includes further recommendations from the council’s Market Working Group. Early recommendations include new planters, possibly looked after by Clitheroe Civic Society, new bins and a bench, costing a total estimated £8,600. The working group said the market is ‘very stark’ and needs greenery.

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Build me a venue worthy of Preston, government told by city

By Luke Beardsworth

Over 2,000 people have signed a petition urging the UK government to give Preston the major venue that it deserves.

The Blog Preston petition was launched last week and encourages Lisa Nandy, Labour’s Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, to provide the tools, resources and support to Preston City Council to be able to give Preston a modern venue to replace (or help with rebuilding) Preston Guild Hall.

Preston Guild Hall has been closed since May 2019 due to a mixture of legal wranglings with its late former owner Simon Rigby and the suspected presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some sections of the buildings roof.

The petition states: “For our children, for all our communities, for our nightlife, for our city centre businesses, for the hospitality industry, for our creative sector, for our bands, for our comedians, for our panto performers, for our dance groups - heck - even for the election counts and nights in there!

“We’re not interested in how we got here with the Guild Hall, we are interested in how we move forward.”

That petition came after Preston City Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Martyn Rawlinson, said that the council would pursue a “twin-track” approach for the next 12 months of assessing renovation costs for the existing building – including a new roof – while also exploring whether funding could be raised for a brand new attraction.

The authority has been quoted figures of £60m-£100m for a new-build scheme. It says that, either way, the aim is for an operational venue to be in place in time for the Preston Guild celebrations in 2032, or even sooner.

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The Blackpool question

The idea that both Preston and Blackpool are delivered a brand new venue in the next decade is fanciful at best. The cynics among us would be tempted to say ‘neither’ was the most likely outcome.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has made calls for a ‘world-class’ arena to be built at the site of Blackpool Central and has been doing so since his by-election victory in 2024.

Much like in Preston, he believes Blackpool has a void that needs filling and that it could have a transformational impact on the town.

But news this week perhaps leaves the door ajar for Preston.

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Two councillors at Lancashire County Council had ‘flags’ returned when carrying out their enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks at the authority expects them to undertake when elected.

A week ago, ten of the 84 councillors had not yet completed their checks of criminal records, though this number has been reduced to four since we began asking questions.

There is no detail on which two councillors had the flags returned or why the police is holding data on the individuals, but the smaller party leaders at County Hall all responded to questions to say it was not a member from their party.

Having convictions, or having previous dealings with police, does not preclude a person from being a councillor and there is nothing that says an elected individual has to make the public aware of why that might be.

Lancashire briefing

🍸 Fylde Council has decided not to introduce a tougher policy on licensing in Lytham town centre after crime and disorder concerns were raised – but says it will take meaningful steps to better protect residents. Concerns had been expressed about late night incidents occurring mainly in the Henry Street and Clifton Street area of the town, where there is a higher concentration of licensed premises. The council held an extensive public consultation into licensing in the town centre, which attracted 443 responses from residents, businesses and partner organisations – including two open drop-in sessions in Lytham to ensure everyone had their say. Fylde Council then decided not to introduce a strategy that would have made it harder for new bars to obtain licensing, called a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP), after crime and disorder statistics did not back up such a move.

🥚 A protest march against a stinking landfill site in Fleetwood is expected to gather one of its biggest turnouts yet as long-suffering residents are ‘at breaking point’. Campaigners say there has been an increase in complaints about children suffering from nosebleeds and severe headaches after the vile stench returned “worse than ever” in the past two weeks. The protesters feel they are being ignored and just allowed to suffer not only the nauseating stink but whatever side effects the chemical emissions could be causing. The rotten egg stench is being caused by releases of the gas hydrogen sulphide, while methane gas is also escaping from he site.

🌹 A Lancashire Labour leader has rejected accusations she ignored councillors when speaking with the government about whether May’s local elections should be cancelled. Labour Cllr Yvonne Gagen, leader of West Lancashire Council, defended her conduct and survived a no confidence motion by opposition councillors at the latest full council. Opponents accused her and the ruling Labour group of ‘bypassing’ the full council by not holding a formal debate to hear all councillors’ views about elections. The elections are now going ahead after a U-turn by the government, which previously suspended the polls after consulting with councils ahead of a Lancashire-wide council shake-up in 2028. But consultation within West Lancashire Council was criticised by Conservative and OWL opposition groups, when Tory group leader David Whittington put forward the no confidence motion.

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Two councillors at Lancashire County Council have flags raised by DBS checks

By Luke Beardsworth

Two sitting county councillors in Lancashire had flags returned when they carried out enhanced DBS checks after being elected, The Lancashire Lead can reveal.

A policy introduced in 2024 means county councillors at Lancashire County Council are encouraged to undertake an enhanced DBS check once per term.

An enhanced DBS check will reveal a person’s full criminal history - including both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands.

The policy is in place at Lancashire County Council with the intention of ensuring that no elected individual can work in a role that puts them in contact with vulnerable adults or children.

The identity of the two individuals cannot be revealed but the Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and Our West Lancashire leaders all responded to our questions to state that it was not an elected member from their group.

The leaders of Reform UK and Progressive Lancashire have at the time of publication not responded to our question.

The Lancashire Lead also learned that, as of 9 March 2026 - almost a full year after the 2025 elections - there were 10 councillors of the 84 who had not completed their DBS checks.

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Cllr Mark Clifford, leader of the Labour group at County Hall, raised the issue during Thursday’s (12 March) meeting of full council after he was made aware of figures by our query to him.

He made the point when discussing a council motion - moved by Reform UK’s Cllr Luke Parker - that will ask the chief executive to write to Shabana Mahmood to condemn Zack Polanski’s policy on drugs, set out its opposition to any decriminalisation of drugs and request local authorities be consulted on any changes.

Cllr Clifford said: “Ten people out of our 84 councillors have not done their DBS checks. That’s outrageous. It is way after the election. If you’ve got something to hide, let the public know.

“And if it’s anything to do with peddling drugs or anything like that, it’s time to think about your position. But please, just get them done.”

That number of councillors who haven’t undertaken the DBS checks has been reduced to four since we asked a number of questions of Lancashire County Council this week.

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It’s a strange time for local politics, and not just because a good portion of the public blames their district council for the state of the roads (it’s Lancashire).

Local government reorganisations, elections that were cancelled then not cancelled and different financial settlements have all worked out to mine a wildly different set of council tax policies in Lancashire - no matter which party is in charge.

In today’s edition, we break all of that down. Wooden spoon is awarded to West Lancashire as the only authority to not formally announce its changes, which The Lancashire Lead understands is due to the maximum rise being implemented never being in doubt.

Lancashire briefing

💦 Ground tests and site investigations for two river crossings are being undertaken this spring for a major water tunnel planned in the Ribble Valley. The activity, along a road linking Clitheroe and the Forest of Bowland, is linked to the huge HARP scheme by United Utilities. A new Ribble Valley Council planning update details how it will replace sections of a 110km pipeline from the Lake District to Greater Manchester. Some sections will pass through other Lancashire districts of Lancaster, Hyndburn and Rossendale. And the scheme could last six or seven years. The tunnel scheme has prompted strong debate and objections from some councillors and residents. And people are being appointed to liaise with local communities, the council report adds. When construction work starts fully in the Ribble Valley, tunnel workers and vehicles are to gather at a Clitheroe marshalling yard near the A59 then travel north on existing roads and some new access tracks and river crossings. But before that begins, ground investigation works are happening this month and April on or near two sections of the B6478 road, north of Clitheroe towards Newton on Bowland.

💷 A new £20m regeneration programme for a Skelmersdale neighbourhood has been backed by West Lancashire councillors. But councillors have emphasised that residents including young people must be at the centre of a new board running the scheme in Digmoor. Councillors have generally welcomed the government cash but one is also wary that the new board could be a ‘quango’. Digmoor has been selected for £20m Pride In Place cash from the government, phased over ten years. The scheme aims to improve people’s health, skills and job prospects, enhance streets, playgrounds and social amenities, and improve household energy use. Local community champions and businesses are needed for a new Digmoor board to decide how money is spent. Government rules and early steps in getting people to join the Digmoor Pride In Place board were discussed at West Lancashire Council’s latest full meeting. The government recently released £150,000 to the council to get things started.

🚗 More than a hundred roads across Lancashire will be resurfaced or undergo preventative repairs over the next 12 months. Lancashire County Council’s cabinet has agreed a list of 80 individual schemes to be carried out – several of which involve more than one route. They make up the annual set of pre-planned highways maintenance projects that the authority, whose patch excludes Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen, undertakes each year – and are separate to the day-to-day ‘reactive’ work done to fix individual potholes as they appear. Almost £21m has been set aside for scheduled road repair jobs in the 2026/27 financial year, comprising a combination of full resurfacing works and pre-emptive ‘surface dressing’ – a special process that not only improves the condition of the carriageway, but seals it to prevent future damage caused by water entering cracks in the road. The figure also includes £440k for footpath repairs. The routes where work will take place are determined by the priorities of the county council’s 15-year roads strategy.

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Councils in Lancashire deliver most variable tax changes in recent memory

By Luke Beardsworth

Authorities in Lancashire are to implement their most scattered set of council tax increases in recent memory for the coming financial year.

The rise of Reform UK and their promises to the freeze council tax (not delivered), the imminent local government reorganisation meaning these authorities won’t exist in a matter of years, the government’s overhaul of how authorities are funded and the cancellation and uncancellation of local elections have put all 15 of Lancashire’s councils in a confused place.

Local government is confusing enough. If you live anywhere except Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool, you will be subject to increases from both Lancashire and your district council (which doesn’t necessarily mean you will be charged more, as they are responsible for different portions of your total bill). Lancashire is responsible for the majority of your council tax bill. Some also goes to the police and to the fire service.

But if you live in Blackburn with Darwen or Blackpool, you will be subject to just one set of increases - in this case the maximum amount in both instances.

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All of which has led to a situation where some authorities are freezing council tax, but your council tax will go up anyway because you also pay to Lancashire County Council.

Lancashire

We’ve covered extensively on these pages that council tax contributions to Lancashire County Council will go up by 3.8% as part of the first budget announced by Reform UK.

Depending on how you view politics, you will likely take a different view of that increase. It is true that it is the lowest increase in 12 years. It is also true that Reform UK campaign material - which the council’s leader Stephen Atkinson has since described as ‘rogue’ - promised to freeze it. That means it is possible to describe it as both a victory and a betrayal without being wrong.

In neighbouring Sefton, Reform UK campaign material ahead of May’s all-out elections would suggest that the party has learned from this (even if, ultimately, there are no consequences for breaking that promise). Their manifesto instead pledges to ‘aspire’ to reduce council taxes.

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