Central Radio News

Almost 400 new school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are set to be created in Lancashire.

More than 30 Fylde residents have moved into work thanks to a successful partnership which has helped create training and apprenticeship opportunities.

Chorley is getting ready to turn the page on an exciting new chapter as What’s Your Story, Chorley returns bigger than ever this March.

Pride in Place cash will be spent on repairs to allow the reopening of Blackpool’s Tramtown museum.

Sixteen residential roads in Blackpool are set to get resurfaced over the next eight weeks, as Blackpool Council starts a huge investment in additional road maintenance.

A paedophile who a targeted teenage girl at a house in Leyland has been given a lengthy jail term.

A man has been charged with the murder of Preston student Carla Georgescu.

Blackpool’s Brian House Children’s Hospice has announced the cancellation of this year’s Bubble Rush event.

A long-delayed £8.85million project to rebuild a historic Blackburn town centre church destroyed by fire in 2019 will start this summer with the aim of completion in 2028.

The heritage-listed Towneley Hall Craft Museum is to get a makeover.

Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s performance in terms of 12-hour waits is currently the worst in the country, according to a latest report.

A popular Italian restaurant in Preston wants to create a dedicated parking area for one of their regular customers – who usually drops in by helicopter.

Building work has officially finished on a new ground for Lancashire County Cricket Club, which has been created at the heart of the county.

King Charles visited Lancashire today, stopping at Clitheroe, Samlesbury and Inglewhite.

A man has today admitted to killing his baby son in Fulwood.

Preston’s Animate leisure complex is celebrating its first birthday this February half term with a full day of free family fun.

An investigation into the death of a student in Preston is continuing.

King Charles visits Lancashire today.

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Several business owners have been left heartbroken after a major fire tore through a commercial building on Waterloo Road in Blackpool’s South Shore.

Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall has been given a £60,000 grant to develop a new arts and culture programme.

A police operation in Blackburn targeting anti-social behaviour has led to the seizure of more than a dozen illegal bikes and e-scooters.

Two Blackburn with Darwen primary schools are to reduce their admission numbers.

A free business support programme in Fylde is helping local entrepreneurs turn ideas into successful businesses. 

The leader of Burnley Council has told his councillor colleagues they must do all they can to persuade borough residents to tell the latest consultation on Lancashire devolution-related Local Government Reorganisation they don’t want to be merged into a new authority with Blackburn with Darwen.

Blackpool is continuing to face homelessness levels more than twice the national average, according to a new council report. 

A group of under-threat Lancashire day centres should be given “the same assurance” about their futures that has been offered to care homes previously in the same position, a councillor has said.

Wyre Council is preparing to launch a new weekly food waste collection service for all households from the middle of April.

A pervert who sexually abused two young girls has been jailed for almost 20 years.

A man who attacked and raped a woman in Burnley has been given a sentence totalling 23 years.

A Poulton-le-Fylde man has been handed a five year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

This summer's walkabout theatre show in Williamson Park in Lancaster has been exclusively announced on Central Radio.

A former police officer has been jailed after admitting coercive and controlling behaviour towards a woman.

Residents, businesses and visitors travelling through Burnley are being advised of upcoming changes to Manchester Road as part of a major public realm and transport improvement scheme.

One of Blackpool’s most iconic venues is set for an exciting new chapter after plans were agreed to transfer its operation to Blackpool Council’s wholly owned tourism company.

Residents worried over plans to demolish homes in Blackpool’s Revoe area as part of a controversial regeneration plan have been offered help by a national community union group.

Preston Bus has defended a recent rise in its fares, claiming that it has been left more than £100,000 a year out of pocket by central and local government funding for two price-reduction schemes for passengers.

New padel courts have been proposed for Blackpool Sports Centre.

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after the rider of an e-bike suffered serious injuries in a collision in Fleetwood.

For 100 years, Stanley Park has played a central role in Blackpool, providing residents and visitors with a landmark green space that combines heritage, recreation and natural beauty. 

Blackpool’s £350m Talbot Gateway has taken another step towards full occupancy, with 300 workers relocating to the heart of the town centre.

An investigation is underway after a woman found injured at a house in Blackburn died.

Eight people have been charged as part of an investigation into the illegal supply of cocaine and ketamine in Blackpool.

Visitor attraction Blackpool Tramtown has been forced to close until further notice due to an issue with an electric cable.

Steel mesh ‘lids’ on two docks at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court to stop defendants escaping and potentially attacking guards or officials have been given the go ahead.

Plans to demolish the houses on Henry Street as part of a major sports-themed regeneration project in Blackpool have taken another step forward, after a three year delay.

Blackpool Council needs to find £16m in savings during the next year as it prepares for the imminent budget for 2026/27.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has pledged that his 5.4 % increase in the council tax charge he levies on households will be used to boost neighbourhood patrols, digital and financial investigations, roads policing and modern IT systems.

The operators of Guy’s Thatched Hamlet have announced they have ceased trading after 46 years.

People are advised to avoid eating domestically produced eggs or egg-laying poultry from within 1km of an industrial site in Thornton.

Valérien Ismaël has today left his position as Blackburn Rovers’ Head Coach.

A temporary school planned for the outskirts of Preston might never be constructed.

A teenage boy suffered a fractured skull when he was hit by a vehicle during a car meet in Preston over the weekend.

Councillors have urged the government to bring in a graduated driving licence scheme for young motorists in the wake of a horror crash earlier this month in which a Blackburn taxi driver was killed and three Bolton teenagers died.

Councillors have paid tribute to the work of Blackpool’s Director of Adult Social Services following her retirement from the role.

Tough new rules – which would see fines of £100 dished out to those who breach them – could be introduced in parts of Preston to tackle the antisocial behaviour found to have been blighting the lives of law-abiding locals.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s Walk in the Dark is marking a major milestone this year as the event turns 18.

The issue of a long-awaited pedestrian crossing for a suburban Blackburn primary has been raised again with the borough’s highways boss.

Over £50,000 has been raised to help fund a private search for a seven-year-old girl from Lancashire who went missing in Morocco.

A leading figure in Blackpool’s transport sector has announced that she’s set to retire later this year after a successful career in trains, trams and buses.

A man who was seriously injured in a collision on the A585 in Poulton-le-Fylde earlier this month has died.

A mother and her two adult children have been found guilty of murdering a man in Blackburn last June.

Officers from Preston’s Neighbourhood Policing and Prosper Partnership Team have carried out another ‘Skip the Whip’ - a multi-agency operation to tackle illegal and abandoned vehicles.

A piano and theatre teacher from Poulton-le-Fylde who engaged in sexual communication with a 14-year-old girl has been jailed.

Volunteers from across Lancashire will gather on St Annes beach next month to plant thousands of donated Christmas trees as part of vital work to protect coastal communities from flooding.

A Blackburn drug dealer has been jailed – as police issue a fresh appeal to trace two other men wanted as part of the same investigation.

Fleetwood Neighbourhood Policing Team have secured a closure order for an address in the town.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says he has secured a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss long-term investment and regeneration in South Shore – one of the most deprived areas in the country.

A potentially life-saving stroke treatment will be available around the clock in Lancashire for the first time from next week.

A facelift planned for Preston station has been given the green light – in spite of concerns that one aspect of the revamp might affect the “appreciation” of the Grade II-listed building.

Blackpool is exploring the possibility of bidding for the UK City of Culture 2029 and UK Town of Culture 2028.

A burglar was traced after leaving blood at the scene of a break-in.

The countdown is on for the return of the Fylde Ice Festival to Lytham.

A new non-profit company has been set up with the aims of developing the former Fleetwood Pier site into a vibrant attraction and reviving the town itself.

Three Lancashire councils have been granted significantly more time to start dedicated household food waste collections – while two others have been unable to confirm whether they will meet the deadline for doing so.

The University of Lancashire’s School of Veterinary Medicine has been given the royal seal of approval by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

The Leader of Blackpool Council said people who took part in an anti-immigration march at the weekend were not reflective of the many people who live, work and visit the town.

Plans to increase school capacity across Preston have been approved by councillors.

A family festival is being staged in Bispham aimed at bringing members of the community together.

Government plans to slash the number of police forces must not damage the relationship between local communities and the officers who serve them, the man who oversees Lancashire Constabulary has warned.

Residents in Blackpool’s Revoe area are to have their say about plans to demolish hundreds of homes in a controversial £90m regeneration scheme.

A facility in Burnley is set to accept waste from across East Lancashire when the county council's contract for the use of the Whinney Hill landfill site comes to an end in April.

Hyndburn Leisure is inviting contractors to tender for phase two of the redevelopment of Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall.

Over the past week further demolition work has taken place in Blackpool as streets are being flattened to make way for the landmark £65 million Multiversity campus.

A man has been jailed after burgling a vets practice in Colne.

Police have launched an investigation after a man in his 80s from Nelson was conned out of £10,000 by a group falsely claiming to be police officers and bank staff.

Lancashire’s Labour MPs have called on Reform UK to guarantee that five care homes whose futures the party appeared to secure this week will not be privatised.

The leader of Chorley Council has defended asking for the borough’s local elections to be called off this year.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Andy MacNae has launched a major constituency-wide road safety campaign.

Blackpool ended their three-match losing streak with a convincing two-nil victory over Northampton Town.

A long-planned overhaul designed to reduce congestion on one of the busiest routes in Central Lancashire has moved a step closer after planning permission was granted for a key element of the scheme.

A new health facility is to open in Blackpool offering vital dialysis treatment to renal patients in a more accessible location.

A new bus lane in Preston city centre will go live next month, with warnings issued to drivers who use it incorrectly to begin with.

Drivers will be fined if they attempt dangerous manoeuvres at four locations across Lancashire, under new powers being rolled out for enforcing moving traffic offences.

The husband of the mother of two who was killed by a falling tree branch in Blackburn’s Witton Park in August has set up a foundation in her memory.

Blackburn with Darwen Council will next week be urged to support tougher rules for the use of social media by under-16s.

There’s some good news for the coastal protection of Anchorsholme – but not such good news for a group of residents in nearby Little Bispham.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man sadly died in a collision in Forton.

A pensioner has died following a collision in Brierfield in December.

A Blackpool man has been found guilty of a string of sexual offences after being caught in a undercover operation three times.

Two men have pleaded guilty to their roles in an incident where a man was stabbed after leaving a Mosque in Accrington shortly after leaving Friday Prayers.

A £9.3 million transformation looks set to be approved to completely modernise St Annes Swimming Pool and get Kirkham Baths reopened.

The future of five Lancashire care homes appears to have been guaranteed after months of uncertainty about whether they would be refurbished or closed.

A controversial East Lancashire nightclub will now remain closed permanently after its owners lost their appeal over the revocation of its premises licence.

Works to remodel the junction of School Road and Common Edge Road are nearing completion.

Blackpool is set to get its first pet crematorium under new plans for Carleton cemetery.

The family of a young man who died following a collision in Grimsargh have paid a heartbreaking tribute to their ‘best boy’.

A man who sexually assaulted two young girls in East Lancashire has been given a 20-year sentence. 

Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall in Great Harwood has officially reopened following the completion of a major £500,000 plus upgrade.

A second East Lancashire MP has called on Transdev to think again about local bus fare rises and ticketing changes which came into effect this week.

Hyndburn Council will soon be seeking new market traders and food and drink operators to take space at Accrington’s historic Market Hall when it reopens in November.

A new McDonald’s drive-thru will be built alongside the M6, on the outskirts of Preston, after being given the green light by councillors.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says worried constituents have been contacting him with concerns over the future of the visitor centre which houses the town’s much-loved heritage trams.

Work on an eight-month project to build a new four-arm roundabout on a busy road to serve major Blackburn housing developments will start in May.

Train operator Avanti West Coast has made a new bid to bring back an extra weekday London service for Blackpool after controversial cuts to the operation.

A Blackpool firm has been named as the North West’s second fastest-growing technology company, according to a new list – and among the top 100 in the UK.

Lancashire care staff are ready to strike if any of the county’s under-threat homes and day centres are earmarked for closure, a union leader has warned.

A teenager has died following a collision between two cars in Grimsargh on Sunday.

Three men have been seriously injured in a collision between a taxi and a van on the A585 bypass near Windy Harbour in Poulton-le-Fylde.

A teenager has admitted making a hoax call which led to a large scale emergency response in Blackpool, involving police, HM Coastguard, the fire service and ambulance service.

An 89-year-old woman has died following a collision in Leyland last weekend.

East Lancashire’s police licensing sergeant has pledged to crackdown on irresponsible nightclub operators after councillors revoked the certificate for a controversial Burnley venue for the second time.

A Preston sixth form college has unveiled plans for a major extension designed to help deal with a shortage of space and ever-increasing demand for places.

Burnley looks set to submit a bid to become the first ever UK Town of Culture.

Lancashire will take centre stage in one of the world's biggest sporting events, the Tour de France 2027.

Essential traffic signal upgrades at a busy Preston junction will begin next week, with the majority of work taking place overnight to minimise disruption.

Improvements to Colne bus station will get underway next week, marking the first phase of a major scheme to upgrade facilities and improve access for passengers.

A father and son have appeared in the dock after admitting to illegally supplying ketamine in East Lancashire.

The true scale of the forthcoming new multi-million pound Ministry of Defence (MOD) office building in Blackpool can now be seen as the building takes shape.

The future of Blackpool’s Tramtown attraction – home to the town’s world-famous heritage trams – is at serious risk, says a leading councillor.

Lancashire County Council is proposing to increase council tax by 3.8 percent next year – 1.2 percent below the maximum amount permitted by the government.

A man who filmed himself before and after committing burglaries in East Lancashire during which high value cars were stolen has been jailed.

Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum, drew crowds of blockbuster proportions, with 105,177 visitors in its first eight weeks at The Harris in Preston.

The operators of Blackpool’s Holiday Inn ended the arrangements with Marco Pierre White’s restaurant brand because of “restrictions” with the deal, it has emerged.

Chorley has become the first place in Lancashire to declare that it will bid to become the UK’s inaugural Town of Culture.

A rogue roofer from East Lancashire who scammed older residents out of thousands of pounds has been jailed, following a Trading Standards probe.

A paedophile who sexually assaulted a teenage girl after giving her drugs in Rawtenstall, has been handed a lengthy jail sentence.

Preston’s Neighbourhood Policing Team and Prosper Partnership Team have secured a three-month partial closure order at a problem address.

Plans are being made to introduce a much improved yet sympathetic reseating of the top gallery tier at Grade II-listed Blackpool Grand Theatre.

Residents in Fylde are backing calls to end ongoing problems at Lytham Tip.

A man who stabbed a probation officer in Preston, inflicting serious injuries on her, has been given a life sentence.

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after an elderly woman suffered serious injuries in a collision in Leyland.

An East Lancashire local authority has started a new advice drive to help people cope with the rising cost of living.

A controversial plan to turn a historic Pendle village pub into a family home has been put on hold, after a community group made a new bid to reopen it.

A substantial housing development of more than 100 homes is being proposed for a site in Blackpool.

Restoration works are set to begin later this month on the West Wing of Astley Hall.

With construction set to begin in the coming months, residents and businesses have their final opportunity to influence two projects that will reinvent how people experience St Annes town centre.

Accrington looks set to get two new padel courts.

Councillors have vowed that play equipment destroyed in a senseless arson attack in a Fylde coast park will be rebuilt as quickly as possible.

Two men have been arrested after a man died following a collision in Preston.

A couple in Blackpool previously jailed for child cruelty allowed a man who turned out to be a convicted sex offender to babysit two of their children, a review has found.

Children in an East Lancashire borough will soon be able to take advantage of a brand new £15 a month fitness offer.

Nelson-based Barnfield Construction Ltd is to be appointed as main contractor for the multi-million pound Darwen Market Hall and Civic Quarter development project.

The building that houses some of Lancashire’s most precious historical documents needs a new roof.

Transport bosses say a raft of security measures are in place at Preston Bus Station after it was identified as the place in the city that is most feared by women at night.

A well-known Fleetwood GP is to chair a £20m community project to help regenerate the town.

DWP bosses have issued a statement after falling debris from Blackpool’s new £100m civil service office led to a dramatic evacuation.

A teenage boy who stabbed a 15-year-old in the chest during a fight near Moor Park in Preston, has been sentenced to more than three years youth detention.

Burnley Council is being asked to consider proposals for new 3G football pitches at Prairie Sports Village and Burnley High School.

Multi-million pound plans to build a seven-storey block of luxury apartments on Blackpool seafront are anticipated to finally see fruition in 2027.

Plans have been unveiled to launch another padel venue in Preston – which would become the sixth created in the city in the space of just three years. 

Plans have been lodged to build 102 affordable homes on land bordering Poulton and Blackpool.

A free wellbeing and fun day on the Fylde coast is proving so popular it’s now become a much-anticipated annual event.

A new campaign has been launched to encourage residents to make a difference in Blackpool by consider fostering.

Half a dozen regeneration projects are set to be completed or to begin in Preston over the next 12 months.

Plans to build a new large scale M&S food store at Norcross have been given the official green light after a final agreement was reached with developers.

Proposals to turn one of the Fylde coast’s most distinctive buildings into a unique house are still in the pipeline for 2026.

Work on a major railway bridge replacement is set to begin - leading to travel disruption in Lancashire.

A month-long campaign has been launched to help people in Lancashire be better prepared for freezing weather, flooding and power cuts.

People from Lancashire have been recognised in the King's New Year's Honours List for their work across the county.

Hundreds of runners and walkers dressed as elves have raised thousands for mental health at a charity fun run.

The new women and girls' Champion on Lancashire County Council has vowed to push for change.

A public survey has been launched to ask Lancashire residents for their views on the money they pay towards policing.

A man has been arrested after a police drugs raid in Fleetwood.

Lancashire residents can have their names displayed on a North West Air Ambulance helicopter this Christmas as part of a pioneering scheme.

Police in Lancashire have received four new electric bikes to help with patrols across the community.

NHS bosses are planning a major overhaul of orthodontic services in Lancashire in an attempt to reduce waiting times of more than a year in some parts of the county.

Blackpool Council’s Director of Adult Social Services has announced she will step down from the post at the end of this year.

The latest proposals for two rides to operate either side of Blackpool’s South Pier have been refused again.

Families across Fylde can look forward to another unforgettable weekend of wonder as the award-winning St Annes International Kite Festival returns.

A man who drugged and raped his victim in an East Lancashire carpark has been given a 15-year jail sentence.

Blackburn with Darwen Council highways bosses are to look at improving safety on a main road in the borough following major housing developments in the area.

An East Lancashire county councillor has given up the Green Party whip because of ‘an investigation’.

A drunk-driver who crashed his car into a wall in Blackpool on Christmas Day, seriously injuring five passengers, has been jailed.

A criminal network supplying drugs across Lancashire and beyond have been jailed for a total of more than 100 years following a major operation by Lancashire’s Serious and Organised Crime team.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a pedestrian died following a collision with a bin lorry in Freckleton.

Lancashire Police have issued a seasonal shoplifting warning ahead of the busy festive retail period, saying there will be no let-up in their action to tackling theft.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given a grant of £2.2million to boost its services to help get addicts and alcoholics of drugs and booze.

A games area on an estate in Preston, which has become so damaged that parts of it are being used as “missiles” by the young people it was designed to benefit, is to be refurbished.

Fylde Council has selected its preferred operator for St Annes swimming pool.

A man has been jailed after stabbing his neighbour in the neck in Colne.

Police are appealing for information and footage after a pedestrian was left seriously injured following a road traffic collision in Nelson.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a cyclist was left seriously injured in a suspected fail-to-stop collision in Preston.

Almost 200 new signs are to be erected in and around Preston railway station in an attempt to reduce the confusion caused by the current mix of “inconsistent” signage relied upon by travellers.

Emergency accommodation for some of Blackburn with Darwen’s most vulnerable homeless people will be retained for the coming two winters.

Lancashire is receiving £24 million in government funding to help provide walking and cycling scheme in the county.

Ambitious proposals to bring one of Poulton’s grandest buildings back into use have got the go ahead.

A man has been jailed for sexually abusing two boys in a caravan in East Lancashire.

Chorley Council has issued an Emergency Prohibition Order on residential flat due to the landlord failing to meet legal housing standards.

Blackpool Council is urging eligible residents to get protected this winter, with free flu vaccinations available, for those eligible, at walk-in clinics across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. 

Train operator Avanti West Coast has confirmed it is reducing its four daily weekday services to and from Blackpool to two a day from next week.