Lancashire snubbed by project led by North of England mayors

PLUS: Will Progressive Lancashire sit in opposition to Reform UK?

Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.

It’s back to County Hall for us today - a theme you can likely expect to continue in the coming months - as Lancashire’s lack of mayor sees it left out of a new project.

Now, Lancashire is ahead of the curve on the ‘security corridor’ the project seeks to create but the absence of a mayor - and the stance on a mayor from Reform UK - makes it interesting reading for what it could mean for future projects.

We’ve also reported on plans for Progressive Lancashire to form a left-wing formal opposition group to Reform UK at County Hall. The fine print of their plan is now being reviewed after objections from the “bigger” parties.

Great North project doesn’t include Lancashire due to lack of a mayor

By Paul Faulkner

County Hall in Preston

Lancashire is not currently involved in an initiative by the North of England’s mayors to boost investment and jobs – in spite of one the aims of the project being to create a “security corridor” that runs through the county.

The ‘Great North’ project was launched last week by mayors across the pan-region, with an ambition to unlock the North’s “economic potential” in sectors including clean energy, defence, advanced manufacturing and the creative industries.

Amongst the specific opportunities identified was “a northern security corridor reaching down from Cumbria and the North East, through Lancashire…bringing together key industrial, engineering and cyber assets that will be essential in securing the UK’s international security”.

However, it is understood that the vision refers to – and would incorporate – longstanding work already under way in Lancashire to harness the county’s existing and extensive defence and security capabilities.

The Lancashire Cyber Partnership was launched in November 2023 in order to capitalise on the forthcoming opening of the UK’s National Cyber Force headquarters in Samlesbury.

Earlier this year, the county also published the Lancashire Growth Plan, which set out the five sectors – one being security – in which Lancashire has “unique potential”. In the security domain, the ambition is to establish “new clusters where industry, academia and wider society collaborate”.

It appears The Great North seeks to build on Lancashire’s established work and connect it to a wider Northern effort.

However, the continued absence of an elected mayor for Lancashire means the county is not part of The Great North initiative at this stage.

It is understood Phillippa Williamson, the former chair of Lancashire’s combined county authority (CCA) – the body created earlier this year to oversee Lancashire’s long-awaited devolution deal – was being kept up-to-date with the mayoral scheme before being deposed as leader of Lancashire County Council at this month’s local elections.

Her replacement, Reform UK’s Stephen Atkinson, is vehemently opposed to Lancashire getting a county-wide mayor – and pledged as part of his election campaign to stage a referendum on the issue.

Last year, when Lancashire’s devolution deal was finally realised, the government said it expected the county to bring forward proposals for “deeper and wider devolution” by this autumn.

While that request seemed to point towards the creation of a Lancashire mayor in return for additional powers and cash, the county appeared to retain at least a vestige of choice in whether or not to opt for a mayoral figurehead.

However, in a surprise move at the Convention of the North in Preston in February, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced that mayors would be in place across the whole of the North by May 2026.

The Great North claims the pan-region could add £118bn to the UK economy “with the right investments”.

Commenting on its launch, the partnership’s chair – and North East metro mayor – Kim McGuinness said: “The time has come for a resurgent North to unite and proudly lead the way to a fairer, more prosperous UK – and The Great North is our vehicle for change.

“This country needs a northern story written by northern minds, not one handed to us by Whitehall – and this Great North partnership puts us on track to write it.

“Whether it is powering the nation’s homes or powering its imagination, this is the north that will lead the way, building on a great legacy. The opportunity is immense and we are ready to work with anyone who is equally determined to create good jobs.

“Whether you are investing here or growing an existing business, you will know that the people of the North are our biggest asset – and now The Great North partnership is here to build on their pride in place.”

Recommended reading this week

🚗 Frustrations over the state of the M6 at Preston sees pressure continue to build for action by the Secretary of Transport. Ribble Valley MP, Maya Ellis, who has a large chunk of Preston and some of South Ribble within her constituency, has secured a commitment from Heidi Alexander to meet and discuss the section of the M6 near the city. The latest from Blog Preston here.

💧 Blackburn with Darwen Council is set to spend £400,000 to prevent flooding caused by work on a controversial new 450-home housing estate. The moves came as an angry local councillor said the council had been warned the flooding would happen years ago, but went ahead with house plans regardless. From the Lancashire Telegraph.

🚌 Lizzi Collinge, the Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, has written to Lancashire County Council to urgently ask if it plans to use new powers being introduced by the Government to get a grip on bus services across Lancashire. The full story.

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Progressive Lancashire’s progress could be stopped before it begins

By Paul Faulkner

A question mark hangs over the newly-formed official opposition at Lancashire County Council, with the alliance arrangement set to be considered as part of a review of the authority’s constitution.