Lancashire village finds itself at centre of Russian threats
Russia threatens 'consequences' after Lancashire-made drones used by Ukrainian forces
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
It’s a chunky briefing section today, as we continue to unpick the reaction to local government reorganisation plans and how some local authorities are feeling particularly scandalised by the names the government put on the table. There’s more than that besides, too.
But our main story looks at how BAE Systems, and Warton in particular, have found themselves in the national news thanks to some sabre-rattling by the Russian embassy in London.
A particularly fierce response to that from one Lancashire MP we spoke to.
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Lancashire briefing
📍 Friction over exactly what four new councils are to be called in the new Lancashire from 2028 is continuing, as chief executives (who are set to be greatly reduced in number) puff their feathers and chests over future names for unitary authorities. The Lancashire Lead understands a deadline of Monday 17 August to respond to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has been extended to Friday 21 August.
Councils want more time to put forward alternatives, particularly on the Fylde Coast and in North Lancashire. The Lancashire Lead approached MHCLG for clarification over whether an extension had been granted around feedback on alternative council names but received no response by time of publication.
It’s understood, as previously reported by The Lancashire Lead, a title of Lancaster, Preston and Ribble Valley (alphabetically) is preferred by the three district councils who will become the North Lancashire grouping.
While Blackpool is understood to be pushing hard for ‘Blackpool and the Fylde Coast’ rather than a ‘Fylde Coast Council’ name. Their neighbouring authorities, less so.
The other two authorities are due to be South Lancashire (Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire) and Pennine Lancashire (Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale). A statement from Mark Wynn, the current senior responsible officer for local government reorganisation in Lancashire, and current chief exec of the county council, said the working titles of the four new councils (North Lancashire, South Lancashire, Fylde Coast and Pennine Lancashire) were continuing to be used but confirmed: “Since receiving the government’s decision on Local Government Reorganisation in Lancashire, and further details in the letter from MHCLG, there has been a lot of discussion between the councils, and we are making good progress on our LGR programme.
“There are some details that we haven’t been able to agree unanimously, including the names of the new councils.”
The statement issued on the Lancashire Local Government Reorganisation website on Monday, from Mr Wynn, seemed to imply any debate about names would need to follow a legal process stating: “The names of the new councils will be included in a legal document called the Structural Changes Order. If the new councils wish to review these in the future, there is a legal process that they would need to follow.”
The Lancashire Lead understands there’s some chest-thumping from County Hall about all the authorities needing to have Lancashire somewhere in the title. Despite the Lancashire Combined County Authority continuing to exist in the new 2028 set up and the Fylde Coast proposed name also not including the word Lancashire.
There’s also plenty of mentions of ‘business as usual’ for all councils, which we assume means continuing to have a good old fashioned row with each other.
🚔 A Reform UK county councillor who was under investigation by Lancashire Constabulary will not face any action, The Lancashire Lead has learned.
In May, we reported that an individual was being investigated under the Operation Ford banner which is designed to protect elected officials from intimidation, harassment and violence. We did not name the councillor in question.
That news came as a broadly positive Local Government Association assessment of Lancashire County Council was marred somewhat by the fact complaints against councillors had more than tripled in 2025.
But the police investigation into the councillor has been dropped, and The Lancashire Lead understands that it will now be handled by the Lancashire County Council standards committee.
👨🏼⚖️ Mystery surrounds the identity of two of the three Lancashire courts that could move to a temporary facility in Preston.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has applied for planning permission to convert part of the Marshall House office block on Ringway to accommodate four hearing rooms, which will be used only for “lower-risk” cases from relocated family or magistrates’ courts.
The government department says the additional judicial space is being sought because of “essential roof repairs” required at a trio of the county’s court buildings.
However, when asked which existing courts might be decamping to the Preston site, the MoJ identified one – but was silent about the other two.
The Leyland Family Hearing Centre, on Lancastergate in the town, was named as one of the facilities that would be on the move, should Preston City Council give the go-ahead to the Marshall House conversion across three of its nine storeys.
But, after repeated requests, the MoJ refused to reveal the other courts that would also be rehoused – and then declined to explain publicly why it would not say.
Lancashire village finds itself at centre of Russian threats
By Michael Holmes
A small Lancashire village has found itself at the centre of the latest Russian sabre-rattling, with the country’s London embassy threatening “consequences” after British-made drones were used within its borders by Ukraine.
Speaking after it emerged that Nyan suicide drones have been used by Ukrainian forces in their defence against Kremlin aggression, the embassy said: “London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer.”
It warned that the greater Britain’s support for Kyiv, “the higher the price it will pay”.
Drones produced by two British firms have reportedly been used by Ukraine during deep-strike operations in recent months, including against oil refineries and other targets inside Russia.
One manufacturer is Callen-Lenz, which is owned by BAE Systems’ advanced research, evaluation and technology hub FalconWorks and produces the Nyan “one-way effector”.
FalconWorks is headquartered in Warton, with the aerospace hub understood to have strategic oversight of the Nyan programme, though BAE has remained tight-lipped about the specific role the facility plays.
The drone, built in Wiltshire and tested by the British Army and Royal Navy, was first shown off in Warton earlier this year.
A black carbon-fibre attack drone launched via a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult, the Nyan is part of BAE’s “expanding portfolio of uncrewed air systems being produced through its FalconWorks advanced research and technology hub”, the company boasted recently.
It has a range of more than 150 miles and is capable of hitting targets near the frontline and in Russian territory close to Ukraine, The Sunday Times wrote, adding that it has been used in an attack on Belgorod, close to the Russian/Ukraine border.
Speaking at Warton in June, Callen-Lenz boss Matt Foster said “thousands” of the drones, which have a 2.9m wingspan, had been delivered to the Royal Regiment of Artillery and an undisclosed customer - believed at the time to be Ukraine.
In response to The Lancashire Lead’s questions, a BAE spokesperson said: “We deliver a range of capabilities into the UK MOD (Ministry of Defence) as part of the UK’s support to the defence of Ukraine.
“The Nyan uncrewed air system provides a rapidly developed platform proven in meeting emerging threats within highly contested environments.”
Fylde Conservative MP Andrew Snowden told The Lancashire Lead: “Britain is right to stand firmly with Ukraine as it defends itself against (Vladimir) Putin’s illegal invasion.
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