Central Radio News

Blackpool’s ambitious £65m Multiversity scheme is pressing ahead as planned – but the council is looking to ensure there are no potential hold-ups to slow the project down.

A man has been jailed after stalking a woman in Preston.

A man has been jailed for raping a woman he met on a night out in Darwen.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a collision in Great Harwood.

Ambitious plans to build almost 400 new homes on the outskirts of Preston City Centre appear to have been put on long-term hold.

Blackpool Council is looking into alternative models of residential care for children in the face of the “unsustainable” £21 million a year costs of private care provision.

More than 150 jobs are expected to be created after plans to modernise a South Ribble industrial development were given the go ahead.

Plans have been submitted to transform two empty units in Poulton’s Teanlowe Centre into a banking hub.

A Preston newsagent who flouted a court order banning them from selling vapes and tobacco has been fined £4,000 and hit with court costs.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another man was found with several injuries at a property in Church.

Three men have been sentenced for their part in the supply of drugs in Blackburn.

A song celebrating Darwen is now available to pre-order in advance of its release with hopes high it will feature on the streaming charts.

The hunt is on for an experienced community figure who can help to guide a decade-long £20 million regeneration fund for Fleetwood.

A man has been charged following a serious collision in Broughton last month.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a pensioner died following a road traffic collision in Blackburn on Saturday.

Temporary traffic lights that have been causing lengthy delays on one of the main routes towards and away from Preston should be overridden in order to ease queues, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

Plans have been put forward to demolish a £320,000 adventure course at Blackpool’s Stanley Park which was once expected to prove a huge attraction.

The speed limit along every road on a Chorley housing estate is set to be cut.

Fylde Council has decided to discontinue its in-depth scrutiny review into Lancashire County Council’s highways maintenance services.

A former car showroom on the outskirts of Preston is to be converted into a convenience store and petrol station – in spite of objections from dozens of locals.

Lancashire Police say training more officers to drive on the county’s motorways has helped cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads to its lowest level in years.

BAE Systems has lost a High Court attempt to stop strike action at its Warton and Samlesbury sites in Lancashire.

A man has been jailed for committing a sex act in front of a child in a restaurant toilet in Rawtenstall.

Wyre Council has announced the successful completion of the revitalisation of the Young People’s Place on Windsor Road, Garstang.

The fate of a former Preston pub has been sealed after plans to flatten it were given the go-ahead.

One of Blackpool’s most ambitious and exciting regeneration projects has moved a step further – and residents will get to play their part as well.

The £9m transformation of Preston’s historic Amounderness House into modern, flexible workspace is underway with work starting on site.

At a recent gala celebrating a century of community cinema with Cinema for All, Chorley’s Empire Community Cinema scooped an award recognising its important role in the community.

Blackpool Council’s services for children are continuing to improve, a new Ofsted report says.

Proposals for a temporary ice rink at Lytham have hit a setback – despite being given the go ahead by local planners.

Blackpool Council is taking the next major step in delivering a first data centre as part of plans for Silicon Sands, a flagship digital infrastructure project at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

A popular festive food and craft event which is staged annually on the Fylde coast will not be taking place this year.

The multi-million pound regeneration of a much-loved Art Deco pub in Blackpool has seen a large part of the structure being demolished.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a child was left seriously injured following a road traffic collision in Blackpool.

Blackpool is getting a £6.85m upgrade to street lighting in a bid to cut carbon emissions and electricity costs. 

The government could be asked to cancel some of the local elections scheduled to take place in Lancashire next year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

A train has derailed on the West Coast Main Line this morning.

Plans for a major expansion of the M&S store on Preston’s Deepdale Shopping Park have been given the green light.

The latest phase of a major housing development in North West Preston has been designed to encourage walking and cycling rather than car use, the firm behind the project has said.

A bogus builder from Blackpool who conned his victims out of thousands of pounds has been jailed.

Police are appealing for CCTV and dashcam footage following a serious collision in Preston.

Police have charged three teenagers with attempted murder following an incident in Blackpool which left a man with serious stab injuries.

Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was fatally injured in Bacup this morning.

Residents are stepping up their protest against plans for a huge offshore windfarm cabling corridors scheme, fearing it will decimate huge tracts of the Fylde area.

Calls have been made to suspend a controversial ‘bus gate’ in Preston that’s caught more than 80,000 motorists – and generated £2.6m in fines – in its first year of operation.

Some of Blackpool’s newest Illuminations have been rubbished by a leading councillor – prompting a rousing defence of them by the council leader.

Four more people have been arrested as detectives continue to investigate a wounding in Blackpool which left a man with serious stab injuries.

24 illegal E-bikes and E-scooters have been seized in Preston as part of continued action to tackle anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles.

Police are appealing for information after a collision in the Broughton area left a man with serious injuries.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has moved swiftly to scotch rumours that the Islington Hotel is to be used to house asylum seekers.

From April 2026, all councils in England are to introduce weekly food waste collections as part of the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, designed to make recycling more consistent and effective across the country.

BAE Systems Lancashire military aircraft factories received a major boost with an £8 billion deal to supply 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey.

Lancashire is taking steps to tackle roadwork disruption on its busiest routes – with a potential Lane Rental Scheme now under serious consideration.

A new Greggs branch is to open alongside one of the busiest routes in Preston.

Police have launched an investigation after a man was stabbed in Blackpool.

A man believed to be the brother of a people smuggling kingpin caught following an investigation by the National Crime Agency has been jailed for more than five-and-a-half years for helping him transport people to the UK.

A man has died after a collision on the M6 in Lancashire last night.

The names of around 20,000 children believed to have been killed during the war in Gaza are to be read out at co-ordinated events across Preston this afternoon.

There appears to have been a momentary loss of communication between the two councils who fund the much-loved Fleetwood to Knott End ferry.

Hundreds of aerospace engineers in Lancashire are to strike in a dispute over pay.

A new way for businesses and charities across the Fylde Coast to access finance has launched in Blackpool.

Lancashire’s libraries should be able to return to their normal opening hours once new staff recruited to plug gaps in the workforce take up their posts.

A new cycleway and footpath linking South Ribble with Preston Railway Station has officially opened.

Rossendale Police, alongside partner agencies, conducted another successful day of action to address concerns raised by residents in the local community.

A man from East Lancashire who encouraged a child to self-harm has been jailed.

A special ceremony will take place at the world-famous Blackpool Tower Circus to celebrate the unveiling of a Blue Heritage Plaque honouring one of Britain’s most beloved circus performers, Charlie Cairoli.

Potential buyers are in discussions over the sale of Blackpool’s iconic North Pier, one of the town’s top attractions.

Plans to develop a new secondary school in Preston were held up for a year by a delay in handing back a small plot of land – temporarily acquired for a roadbuilding project – to its original owner, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

Blackpool’s spectacular Christmas By The Sea village is returning for 2025.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is inviting public feedback on its draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy as it seeks to further cut the number of people living on its streets.

People who regularly use buses run by Blackpool Transport are being urged to have their say on how the services can be improved.

Proposals for 38 new homes in Over Wyre have been submitted to planners as part of a major outline planning application.

Ambitious proposals for a new multi-million pound Fisherman’s Friend factory in Fleetwood are still going through the planning process – despite the scheme being given approval two years ago.

A Burger King branch is set to be built in the car park of Leyland’s Tesco Extra store after getting the green light from councillors.

Lytham will be transformed into a glittering winter wonderland again next year, as the Fylde Ice Festival returns to the town for its fourth year in 2026.

An East Lancashire shop has been ordered to close for three months after hoarding  illegal vapes and tobacco and selling a vape to a child.

A shoplifter who stabbed a security guard as he fled from a store near to Preston city centre, has been sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.

A huge illuminated drone display over Stanley Park caught many people out this week as they were driving past.

People in Blackburn with Darwen can access free support across key public venues.

The completion of two key projects for the regeneration of Accrington town square has slipped back to July next year.

A child rapist from East Lancashire has been given a sentence totalling 16 years.

Preston City Council has put forward a raft of measures at a cost of over £800,000 that will support residents on the lowest incomes as the cost of living crisis continues.

Blackpool looks set to get a new bowling alley as details of new leisure plans at the former Odeon Cinema have been revealed for the first time.

Controversial plans to develop a quarry in a quiet Over Wyre village have been thrown out today – prompting spontaneous applause in a council chamber.

One of Blackpool’s most distinctive festivals has been extended – bringing some extra colour and brightness to the dark nights of autumn.

The repurposing of Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall has taken a major step forward towards its reopening schedule for December.

Ambitious plans to build a sizable food store at Norcross may have been approved – but planners have stipulated the application was not specific to M&S.

Amir Morani Fireworks, a pyrotechnics team from India, have been crowned the first champions of Blackpool’s annual World Fireworks competition.

A Burnley man has been jailed in his absence for the attempted rape of an 11-year-old girl.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a fatal collision in Kirkham over the weekend.

Blackpool has been selected to join the inaugural class of a new European city leadership initiative – and the move is expected to benefit the town in key ways.

Show homes are now open for inspection at a new housing development in Thornton – but a ward councillor says a chance has been missed to preserve a precious archaeological site on the land.

Problems with the cameras set up to monitor Preston’s newest bus lane are the reason that motorists are not yet being fined if they break the rules, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

A man has been jailed for assaulting staff while a patient at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

A woman has been jailed after attempting to abduct a baby girl in Blackpool.

Amended plans have been submitted to Preston City Council for the full demolition of the Tithebarn Pub.

Police have arrested a man following the discovery of a cannabis grow in Leyland.

There will be an enhanced tram timetable to help visitors during the final performance in the World Fireworks Championships 2025, says Blackpool Transport.

A new £2million home for children with complex mental health needs and challenging behaviour is to be developed by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

A call has been made for the removal of Rolf Harris’ name from Blackpool’s famous Comedy Carpet because of the late entertainer’s conviction for sexual offences.

A host of outdoor pursuits including tomahawk axe-throwing, air rifle shooting and archery are planned at a forest school site in Rossendale.

A new ‘sports village’ could be created on the outskirts of Preston as part of plans to build up to 250 homes.

Preston’s St. John’s Shopping Centre could be flattened to make way for more than 500 apartments, a new NHS neighbourhood health facility and a smaller number of replacement shops.

Youth football teams in Pendle potentially face having to leave a college’s playing fields in Colne.

A man has been left with life changing injuries following a collision in Leyland.

A further phase of soil sampling is underway in Thornton-Cleveleys as part of an ongoing inspection related to historic activity at a nearby chemical facility.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a collision involving a police vehicle and a car in Fleetwood on Tuesday.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision that left a man with serious injuries on the M55.

AI bots are to be deployed alongside call centre staff at Lancashire County Council to assist with answering residents’ queries.

Leyland’s annual Music in the Park event has been axed amid a surge in the prices charged by artists on the concert circuit – and no sign of the gig breaking even anytime soon.

The most successful duo in UK music history, Pet Shop Boys, are heading Lytham Festival 2026.

Blackpool Football Club say they’re ‘appalled’ that a racist message was received by one of their players via social media.

Illegal e-bikes, e-scooters and off-road bikes have been seized from the streets in Blackburn as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

The opening of a controversial and problem-plagued new East Lancashire sports and fitness centre will be celebrated with a weekend of free events and taster sessions later this month.

Blackpool’s N-Vision sight loss charity has announced a range of new services for Lancashire.

Fylde Council is calling for government support to protect local housing for its residents.

Fourteen new surveillance cameras will soon be installed across Preston city centre as part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to making streets safer for everyone.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has received expert advice that there was nothing it could have done to prevent the tragic incident in which a mother of two was killed by a falling branch in one of its parks.

A man has been jailed after admitting multiple rape charges.

The Harris’ spectacular reopening weekend saw thousands of visitors flocking to experience the blockbuster 'Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum' exhibition and explore the £19 million transformed cultural landmark.

GRAMMY nominated musician Teddy Swims has been announced as the first 2026 Lytham Festival headliner.

A family have paid tribute to a ‘clever, caring and compassionate’ teenager who died in a fatal collision near Blackburn earlier this week.

Work to renovate an iconic Blackpool town centre building has completed, as it prepares for a new future as a hub for growing local businesses.

As The Harris prepares to welcome visitors back through its doors, excitement is building for its reopening exhibition, Wallace and Gromit in A Case at the Museum.

A man been jailed for more than 20 years after subjecting a young woman to a horrific kidnap and rape ordeal in Leyland.

Motorists are being warned that Fishergate bus lane in Preston city centre will become operational again from next week.

Residents and visitors can follow a journey of discovery as Fylde Council’s Head of Tourism, Tim Dixon, sets off on a three-day, 40-mile adventure walking the district border of Fylde in aid of the Mayoral charities.

A man has been arrested after drugs were discovered when a car was stopped in Darwen.

In preparation for the Government’s new Simpler Recycling legislation, Blackpool is set to trial a new waste collection system designed to make recycling easier and more accessible for residents.

Police have charged a man with murder following the death of Gary Carlisle in Preston.

24 illegal off-road bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized in Burnley as part of a day of action to tackle anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles.

Anti-fracking campaigners in Lancashire have urged the government to fulfil a manifesto pledge to ban the process “for good”.

VisitBlackpool, organisers of World Fireworks Championship Blackpool, have confirmed a new date for the cancelled show from Team India, which was due to take place on Saturday 13 September. 

A woman in her 60s has died after being hit by a lorry in Colne.

Preston Pride, the celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ community, has announced details of the 2025 event later this month.

Wyre Council are looking for a new operator for the leisure centres in Garstang, Fleetwood, Poulton, and Thornton.

A new cricket ‘dome’ has opened in Darwen allowing players to pursue the sport in all weathers.

Blackpool Council has used grant funding to purchase the former post office, a key development site in the town centre, to secure and safeguard its future. 

A senior hospital consultant has been jailed for six years after abusing his position to sexually assault female members of staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Burnley town centre was firing on all cylinders over the weekend as visitors from across the region flocked to the return of the Vintage & Performance Car Show.

The progress of one of Blackpool’s biggest regeneration projects has been discussed this week as the next steps forward are considered.

The centrepiece of Preston’s revamped Harris Museum has been revealed ahead of the historic building’s long-awaited reopening later this month.

A former world champion boxer from the Fylde coast has paid tribute to close pal Ricky Hatton after his sudden unexpected death aged just 46.

The site of a former Blackpool pub could become a temporary car park.

A teacher from Preston says she was reduced to tears after being threatened with bailiffs for failing to pay a traffic fine that she knew nothing about for almost a year.

A man has died after a tree branch fell on his tent in a park in Blackpool.

A businessman who was thwarted in his plans to transform a Grade II listed radar station into a unique house in Fleetwood says he is not giving up on his dream.

It was once Fleetwood’s cherished M&S store and then during a dark period became its biggest eyesore, before making a welcome comeback.

A woman has been given a hospital order after pleading guilty to manslaughter in East Lancashire.

An East Lancashire councillor has resigned over a social media comment she posted about the assassination of American right-wing figure Charlie Kirk being ‘good riddance’.

Proposed changes intended to fix a problem roundabout described as ‘dangerous’ will not alleviate the key issues, says a road campaigner.

A proposed windfarm project would see underground cables laid through parts of Wyre – including environmentally sensitive parts of Fleetwood and Thornton – if plans progress.

The growth of women and girls’ football in Rossendale, from large clubs to small community teams, and other sport and leisure trends were highlighted to councillors in a new report about local pitches and public demand.

A paedophile has been jailed after he was extradited from the United States to face justice for crimes he committed in East Lancashire almost 50 years ago.

The first round of work is under way to transform one of Blackpool’s most iconic pubs as part of a multi-million pound project.

The Environment Agency says it is investigating a ‘small liquid discharge’ close to the River Wyre from a controversial landfill site in Fleetwood.

A man from Blackburn has been convicted of sharing incident images of children on social media.

Seven different flags will be permitted to be flown above Lancashire County Council’s headquarters after the authority’s cabinet agreed a new policy that members said was designed to encourage a collective pride in country and county.

Two novel attractions new to Blackpool are being proposed for a seafront site close to the town’s famous South Pier.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal this week visited Lancashire Constabulary’s Headquarters in Hutton, Preston, for the launch of Victim Care Lancashire.

Two e-scooters were seized in Rishton last week as part of Operation Centurion.

It’s all set for Fleetwood Colour Run, a fun-packed family event on the beach which takes place this weekend.

A further 10 illegal E-bikes and E-scooters have been seized in Preston as part of another day of action to tackle anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles.

New proposals for two rides to operate either side of Blackpool’s famous South Pier have been thrown out by planners.

An organised crime group have been jailed after importing drugs from the USA to be supplied in Blackpool.

Councillors have sent education bosses back to the drawing board after telling them that the parking arrangements for a planned new primary school on the outskirts of Preston are devoid of “common sense”.

A pair of dilapidated phoneboxes in Preston city centre are to be replaced with a modern ‘digital hub’ offering free wi-fi.

This year's Encounter festival will once again provide a free programme of outdoor theatre shows, games, and live music at various locations around Preston City Centre.

Fylde Council has agreed a contract extension with the YMCA to operate St Annes Swimming Pool until the end of March next year.

An attempt to transform a Grade II listed radar station into a unique house with remarkable views over a beach has been thrown out by planners.

Marks & Spencer has responded to rumours that the chain is to close its Blackpool town centre store.

Poulton could get another new housing development – comprising more than 200 homes – if plans are approved.

Blackpool is set to light up the skies once again as it launches a thrilling new chapter in its firework championships.

A drug dealer who crashed his car into a tree trying to get away from police in Bamber Bridge has been jailed.

Friends and family have got together to pay glowing tribute to a much loved midwife who tragically died aged just 37.

Lancashire residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to have their say on the biggest council shake-up in the county for more than 50 years.

A bold new initiative aimed at helping to restore civic pride is sweeping its way across Lancashire.

Fewer cancers are diagnosed before they start to spread in Lancashire and South Cumbria than across most other parts of England.

Lancashire’s district councils are being encouraged to start emptying general household waste bins only once every three weeks, it has been claimed.

A £750,000 plus energy-efficiency upgrade a major East Lancashire fitness and recreation hub has been completed.

The leader of the Conservative group on Preston City Council has defected to Reform UK, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

A £40m plan has been unveiled for a 30-storey tower in Preston — set to become Lancashire’s tallest building. 

Pop superstar Olly Murs is set to light up Blackpool tonight as the headline performer for the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On event.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of illegal cigarettes and vapes have been seized after a joint operation in Preston.

A man from Preston - the mastermind of one of the UK’s biggest ever carousel tax frauds - has been ordered to pay back more than £90 million.

A man has admitted to fatally assaulting a man in Leyland.

Two men and a boy have been arrested after police stopped a car on the M6 near Preston.

If you go down to Cleveleys seafront this weekend you might be mistaken in thinking you’ve walked onto the set of a Star Wars production.

Plans have been unveiled to build a 30-storey tower block in Preston city centre that would become the tallest residential or office building anywhere in Lancashire.

Residents in Fylde have a chance to find out more about proposals which could bring electric cables through the borough to connect an offshore wind farm to the national grid at Penwortham.

St Annes International Kite Festival makes a return at the end of this week and continues throughout the weekend.

Fylde Council is urging residents to attend upcoming community information events about Ørsted’s proposed East Irish Sea Transmission Project, which could bring electricity cables through the borough to connect an offshore wind farm to the national grid at Penwortham.

Delays in kitting out dozens of new minibuses bought by Lancashire County Council to help cut the costs of transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities mean only half of them will be ready to come into service at the start of the new school year.

An East Lancashire local authority has taken to Facebook to combat ‘fear and intolerance’ after a property in the borough rumoured to be being turned into a house of multiple occupation or “illegal migrant housing” was hit by a possible arson attack.

Blackpool is preparing for one of the most magical nights in its calendar when, for one night only, the six miles of Promenade will be closed to give cyclists a sneak preview of this year’s Illuminations.

Marton Mere Holiday Village in Blackpool is planning to site extra static caravans on the park.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s environmental crime team have secured another nine waste prosecutions for eight people, totalling almost £5,000.

Work to build another 20,000sqft of industrial units at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone has reached a key stage.

Developers behind ambitious proposals to build a new M&S food hall at Norcross have responded to a long list of concerns raised via a huge public reaction.

A mother whose unborn baby was killed by a dangerous driver has spoken of the devastating impact on her life.