Central Radio News

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.

A teenage boy has been charged after a fire at a nightclub in the grounds of the Park Hall Hotel near Chorley.

Blackpool Council has appointed a team with ‘lived experience’ as it looks to create better quality adult social care after a damning “inadequate” CQC report last year.

The future of the much-loved Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry has been cast into doubt after a new statement from Wyre Council.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has hailed a major £1.8m Government boost for the town’s SEND schooling provision.

One of Blackpool’s smallest libraries has been shown to generate huge economic and social value for local residents, according to a new report.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man in his 30s died following a single vehicle road traffic collision in Rivington.

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.

Shops selling non-compliant vapes, illicit tobacco, and supplying age-restricted products to children in Blackpool have been shut down by public protection officers.

The Blackpool Dance Festival team has launched an urgent appeal to trace a historic bronze and ivory figurine that was once a treasured trophy from the early days of Blackpool Winter Gardens.

A demolition crew this week have arrived on the site of boarded up terraced houses at the back of Blackpool FC’s stadium, Bloomfield Road.

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith and the council’s Labour group have backed a union proposal for the staff of the East Lancashire BT offices scheduled for closure in the Blackburn telephone exchange.

Vandals have left drivers at risk of inadvertently breaching the rules at a controversial bus-only zone in Preston – by turning around a key warning sign.

Preston Caribbean Carnival has been awarded a significant grant from Arts Council England to support the delivery of its 2026 programme.

Police have launched an attempted murder investigation after a woman was stabbed at Carleton Crematorium in Poulton-le-Fylde.

Blackpool Council has welcomed figures that show a notable fall in anti-social behaviour in the resort – including areas associated with the holiday trade.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a motorcyclist was left with life-changing injuries following a collision in Euxton.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a pedestrian died following a serious collision in Chorley.

Plans for a major expansion of Preston grassroots music venue The Ferret have been given the go-ahead.

The Fylde coast is feeling the fuel pinch as the war in Iran hits the petrol pumps – but some believe the fallout could actually help Blackpool’s tourist trade.

A gym user has blasted the ‘disgusting’ state of amenities at a council-run leisure centre in Bispham.

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.

When it comes to building a 125-metre bridge across a fast-flowing river, some elements of the task are bound to prove tougher than others.

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, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

A group of inspiring young people from Blackpool are celebrating after being selected to represent the UK at the World Scout Jamboree 2027 in Poland, an experience that will see them step boldly onto the global stage.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision on the M6 on Good Friday evening.

A man has been jailed for 12 years for raping and sexually assaulting a child and sexually assaulting another child.

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

Two new bronze sculptures depicting influential figures from Preston's history will be officially presented to The Harris this month.

An online petition has been launched in a bid to save a Fylde coast church from demolition.

A rogue landscaper and roofer who scammed four householders in Chorley and Manchester out of thousands of pounds has been given a suspended 22-month jail sentence.

Two people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the death of a man from Blackburn.

Two residents at a care home in Blackpool were rushed to hospital following a fire and 21 others were treated at the scene.

Patients in Lancashire are being warned that resident doctors are set to strike just after the Easter bank holiday weekend.

New weekly food waste collections are to launch alongside household bin collection changes in Blackpool.

Chorley’s Neighbourhood Policing Team have secured a closure order at a problem address.

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.

Upgrade works on tram tracks in Fleetwood are set to resume following the Easter holiday.

A teenager who was the victim of a sexual assault was praised by a judge during the sentencing of the man who attacked her.

Five men who ran or assisted in running the ‘Max’ drug line, based in Bradford, bringing drugs across into East Lancashire, have been jailed.

A man has been disqualified from driving for a year and jailed for eight months for dangerous driving to avoid police.

A contractor has been appointed to deliver the next stage of the complex repair project on Haslingden Old Road.

Campaigners against a stinking landfill site in Fleetwood are challenging data provided by statutory bodies in regard to air quality and public safety.

Blackpool Council has responded to concerns over the safety of proposed rock groynes for Blackpool beach – and insists they are the best option to safeguard the resort’s famous golden sands.

A registered sex offender has been jailed for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

​​​​​​​Wyre Council has formally signed a new contract with Parkwood Leisure, working in partnership with the charitable organisation Creating Active Futures, to manage the borough’s leisure centres from next month.

Families across Hyndburn are being invited to enjoy a packed programme of Easter activities at Accrington Market

Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery celebrated a landmark cultural moment as it welcomed guests to an exclusive preview event to mark the arrival of a rare Monet masterpiece.

Police and partner agencies in Blackpool are to take part in a new Home Office funded pilot project aimed at improving the response to spiking reports.

Police cadets in Blackpool and Fylde have raised more than three thousand pounds for a local charity supporting people in poverty.

A parish council chairman has expressed fears that Blackburn with Darwen’s new free bulky waste collection service will be abused and even used to dodge the cost of house clearances.

A latest update says Blackpool’s NHS trust is “fully engaged” with a national investigation into reported failures in its maternity and neonatal care.

Hundreds of people slept out at Preston North End’s Deepdale stadium last night to raise money for homeless people.

Plans have been revealed for Blackburn to get its own mayor following local government reorganisation.

Deputy leader of Hyndburn Council Kimberley Whitehead will step down from the authority in May to devote her next two years to working for Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw in memory of her murdered brother Marvin.

A property in Lytham St Annes has been closed for three months following reports of persistent anti-social behaviour.

Former Norwich and Southampton winger Nathan Redmond has joined Championship side Blackburn.

The Chorley Flower Show returns to Astley Park this summer.

Preston residents can now check how – and whether – their bin collection days will change as part of the biggest shake-up of the city’s waste service in almost 15 years.

Work is now under way for a new Tesco store in the heart of Blackpool town centre.

Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, and Pendle Councils have each been awarded a £270,000 grant to improve playgrounds.

A catchy but thought-provoking rap song about Blackpool by a local music duo has gone viral – and caused some controversy as well.

Lancashire residents who rely on heating oil will be able to access support to help with rising bills as a result of the conflict in Iran.

The public consultation opens today on plans for the proposed merger between Blackpool and The Fylde College and Furness College in South Cumbria.

A man has been charged with murder after a prisoner was found deceased at HMP Garth.

A council meeting at Blackpool was dramatically adjourned when protesters against plans to demolish their homes interrupted proceedings to air their grievances.

Plans have been revealed to bring padel tennis, one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports, to Burnley’s flagship park.

Councillors have approved a new visitor attraction for Blackpool – the Upside Down House.

Preston City Council has awarded £200,000 to community groups across the city.

Two significant improvement projects are near completion at Fairhaven Lake.

Burnley has been awarded £20 million through the Government’s Pride in Place programme, with funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), supporting the next phase of regeneration in the town.

A drug dealer who sold heroin and crack cocaine in East Lancashire has been jailed for 10 years. 

Blackpool’s holiday trade is in optimistic mood for the forthcoming season and anticipates that the resort is on the up again.

A raft of bestselling and award-winning thriller writers has been secured for the inaugural Preston Crime Fiction Festival.

Blackburn’s revamped Audley and Queen’s Park Children’s Centre is nearing completion after a major upgrade.

A man has been jailed after admitting the rape of a ten-year-old girl in Burnley.

More than 2,000 people have signed a new petition urging government intervention to support Preston in achieving its goal of having a major venue.

Preston City Council has announced a major £5 million investment to upgrade and expand Preston Cemetery and Crematorium.

The site of the former Accrington Victoria Hospital is to be regenerated with a new GP surgery, homes for frail or elderly residents, extra health services focused on older patients and those with long term conditions, a café and space for drop-in clinics.

Ambitious plans to introduce improvements to the top gallery tier at Grade II-listed Blackpool Grand Theatre have been given the go ahead.

Campaigners have won their battle for a new pedestrian crossing near St Francis CE Primary School in Cherry Tree Lane in Blackburn.

Proposals for a huge development at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone will go before planners tomorrow – and the scheme carries major jobs hopes if approved.

Police have charged a teenager after a 15-year-old boy suffered stab injuries in Preston.

New proposals for a padel tennis club and cafe for Poulton have been given the go ahead by planners – three months after being refused.

Two brothers have been jailed after a pedestrian was fatally struck by a car in Brierfield and attempts were later made to cover it up.

More than £270,000 is set to be awarded to support vital local projects in the first round of the Darwen Community Fund, with the successful applicants now being revealed.

Lancashire Police is joining forces with partners across the county to officially launch a crackdown on crime in the night time economy - including new measures to protect the most vulnerable. 

Police are appealing for help to find a missing 17-year-old who’s believed to be in Blackpool.

The government has earmarked £1.2million for a new scheme to protect homes and businesses in Darwen town centre from future flooding.

Drivers in Preston are being warned of a four-day closure of the swing bridge at the docks.

Households across Fylde will soon be able to recycle cartons in their blue bins.

A three-year-old girl is in hospital with serious injuries after being struck by an e-bike in Burnley.

Blackpool, Preston and Blackburn with Darwen are set to benefit from a share of a £319M government investment aimed at transforming communities.

Three fire engines were called to a commercial property fire in Blackpool.

A judge has praised a sexual abuse victim’s exceptional courage after her abuser was jailed for almost 20 years.

A mother and her two children have been jailed after murdering a man in Blackburn.

A convicted rapist, described by a judge as one of "the most dangerous sex offenders in the country" has been given a life sentence.

Burnley MP Oliver Ryan has called on Lancashire County Council to consider a compensation scheme for businesses impacted by town centre ‘roadworks chaos’.

The first phase of a major programme of road improvements designed to support Blackpool’s regeneration and improve access to the town centre is starting this week.

Preston’s beloved Easter tradition is back this Easter Monday as Avenham Park transforms into a lively festival of fun, creativity, and entertainment for all ages.

Preston’s green spaces gearing up for major investment in the coming months and years.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a motorcyclist died following a collision on the A59 at Horton.

A man from Accrington has been jailed for sexually assaulting a woman while she slept. 

Blackpool has been invited by the government to bid to be the UK City of Culture for 2029.

Fylde Council is spearheading a borough-wide effort to compete for the prestigious UK Town of Culture 2028, with plans to submit a bid on behalf of Kirkham, while actively supporting other towns and parishes across Fylde as they develop their own proposals.

Nearly 200 taxis were stopped and inspected during a large-scale multi-agency operation across Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, as police and council teams joined forces to keep the public safe.

An Accrington park is to see its sports pavilion brought back into use and a second artificial cricket wicket installed as part of a £100,000 upgrade.

Local famous faces have been announced to lead the fun-packed line-up for Fylde Fest: Spring into Life when it returns to St Annes Square later this month.

A total of 31 people have been arrested and significant quantities of cash, weapons and drugs have been seized across South Lancashire as part of a major national operation targeting County Lines criminality.

The re-opening of Accrington’s historic Grade II heritage-listed Market Hall after an £11million refurbishment will coincide with the town’s Christmas lights switch-on in November, senior councillors have been told.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given more than £10million over three years to help hard up residents cope with the cost of living crisis.

Members of a Blackpool drug-supply gang have been given custodial sentences totalling more than 63 years.  

Work is poised to start on Phase Three of the repurposing of Great Harwood’s historic Mercer Hall.

Senior councillors have approved the appointment of Star Academies to occupy the first building of Blackburn’s proposed £45million town centre Skills and Education Campus.

A mother and son from Darwen who plotted to smuggle 14 kilos of cocaine into the UK have been jailed, following a National Crime Agency investigation.

A 50-year-old man had died after the e-bike he was riding collided with a parked car in Fleetwood.

Residents in an Over Wyre village are fighting against plans to build 79 new homes on a greenfield site.

The new owners of Guy’s Thatched Hamlet in Bilsborrow have been confirmed.

The new High Sheriff of Lancashire for 2026–2027 has been announced as David Collinge, a sixth-generation weaver from Burnley whose life and career have been shaped by Lancashire’s textile heritage.

The backlog in the assessment system for determining the support required by Lancashire children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is on course to be cleared in less than two months.

The landscape of Blackpool is continuing to change as a cordoned off area of Charles Street and Cookson Street is levelled off to make way for the town’s landmark £65 million Multiversity campus.

Parking restrictions are to be widened close to an expanding school in suburban Preston.

A call has been made for a Fylde coast park to be restored to the way it used to be, when it was a huge attraction for youngsters, families and visitors.

Urgent changes to make the notorious Norcross roundabout safer for drivers are finally under way.

A ban on barbeques, campfires, sky lanterns and fireworks across the moors in East Lancashire is up for review.

Work to build a new community sports village in central Blackpool is expected to start later this year.

A Burnley man has been jailed for more than 15 years for sexually assaulting a young girl.

The Harris in Preston has announced that it has welcomed a new intern through the DFN Project SEARCH supported internship programme.

There are more than 1,000 empty properties in Preston that could be providing desperately needed accommodation for a range of residents.

The first major shake-up of bin collection rounds in Preston for more than a decade is set to take place next month.

A busy Blackpool counselling centre which was forced to shut last year after being wrecked by massive storm is set to reopen.

A Lancashire volunteer police officer who works as a long‑distance lorry driver in his day job has been commended for his exceptional bravery and quick thinking following a serious collision on the M6 near Staffordshire.

Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone is continuing to see significant progress, with major infrastructure projects nearing completion and further development underway to help businesses grow and create new jobs for the Fylde coast.

Wyre Council are marking Empty Homes Week by highlighting the progress being made to bring vacant properties back into use and help meet growing local housing demand.

Preston City Council will decide within the next year whether it is “feasible” to build a replacement for the Guild Hall, it has been announced.

Angry residents in Blackpool’s Revoe area did not hold back last night after being given the chance to have their say about controversial plans to demolish homes.

A drug dealer who was twice found in possession of heroin and crack cocaine in Burnley, has been jailed. 

A man been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of killing Kirk Marsden in Blackburn.

A planning application for a multi‑million‑pound sea defence project in Blackpool has been lodged – with a warning the town could lose its famous sand without urgent action.

An allotment site in Thornton-Cleveleys is to be closed temporarily as part of an ongoing investigation into historic contamination by a chemical used at a nearby facility.

A water leak which added a further delay to behind-schedule streetworks in a Rossendale town has been repaired, authorities say.

A Preston sixth form college has been given the go-ahead for a major expansion in order to meet demand for places, amid protests from residents living nearby who say they cannot park close to their own homes.

A professional Fylde coast singer has organised a concert to help raise funds for those affected by the devastating Waterloo Road blaze in Blackpool last month.

Councillors at Blackpool approved a number of changes to the town’s ambitious Multiversity scheme which effectively saved £450k towards its cost.

Padel enthusiasts in Preston will have another place where they can play the sport after a new facility was given the green light in the city.

Blackpool Council is inviting residents, businesses and stakeholders to have their say on the future of central Blackpool.

A bid is being prepared for Accrington to be crowned as the UK’s new ‘Town of Culture’ in 2028.

Fylde MP Andrew Snowden has raised fears that taxpayers could be forced to pick up the bill for Blackpool Council’s massive £500 million debt after local authorities merge.

Fed-up Blackpool residents say the town’s roads are the ‘number one’ issue they want to raise with the council, with a record number of complaints about potholes in the last three years.

Leisure operators are being invited to help bring one of the world’s fastest-growing sports to one of Fylde’s most loved destinations.

Stars including Tez Ilyas and Wayne Hemingway MBE are heading to Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium next month for a special event celebrating Hyndburn’s thriving creative community.

Plans to invest £72 million in maintaining and improving Lancashire’s highways and transport infrastructure in 2026/27 are set to be approved by councillors.

Ongoing tests for potential chemical contamination in Thornton have now revealed the presence of cancer-linked chemical PFOA at some residential properties.

The chairman who will lead a £20m Government-backed community project for Grange Park and Layton has now been named.

A man has been given a 20-year sentence after assaulting his partner so seriously she has been left paralysed.

Police are investigating after a large cannabis grow was discovered in Blackpool.

A sex offender who tried to abuse children online jailed for seven and a half years.

Houses in parts of Fleetwood and Thornton Cleveleys will no longer be able to be converted into HMOs without planning permission, Wyre Council has said.

Preston City Council has signed a contract to upgrade the rooftop solar panel array at Preston Town Hall.

Furious campaigners are demanding the closure of a stinking landfill site in Fleetwood after an inquiry revealed as many as 70 permit breaches at the site in less than two years.

Cash seized from criminals is being spent on helping young people in Blackpool.

Blackburn with Darwen residents will see their council tax for borough services rise by the maximum 4.99 per cent permitted without a referendum from April 1.

Police Licensing officers, working alongside Lancashire County Council Trading Standards, have carried out a recent test purchasing operation targeting underage alcohol and vape sales.

Plans to make Cleveleys town centre a more appealing place to shop will see more than a dozen on-street parking spaces removed – so that pavements can be widened.

The operators of a popular Chorley park have appealed for consideration from dog owners after waste bags were left piled up around overflowing bins.

Officers from Fleetwood Police successfully secured a closure order for a problem address in the area.

Dozens of apartments could be created within Preston’s Miller Arcade as part of a major redevelopment of the historic city shopping precinct.

A couple who run a community café in Blackpool’s South Shore have been left devastated after the huge Waterloo Road blaze forced it to close for months ahead.

Blackpool Council has hit back at claims it is considering selling off assets such as famous landmarks to pay off debts.

A paranoid schizophrenic who stamped on and kicked a Preston dad to death has admitted killing him.

Residents who live close to a stinking landfill site in Fleetwood are being given a chance to describe how the issue has impacted on their health in a new survey.

Work is set to begin in March on street improvements in Pendle as part of a £55 million programme of investment across East Lancashire.

A councillor has warned of “absolute chaos” on the roads if plans to build 350 houses on the site of the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Chorley are given the go-ahead.  

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man suffered serious injuries in a collision near Longridge.

Preston City Council will introduce weekly food waste collections across the city from April 2026.

The former boss of a restaurant in Poulton-le-Fylde who set fire to it in a revenge attack against its new owners has been jailed.

Aspiring entrepreneurs in Wyre are being given the opportunity to develop real-world business skills through a unique training programme at Fleetwood Market.

Lancashire will get almost £29m more in transport funding from the government in two years’ time than it does today.

A road campaigner has slammed Government-owned National Highways as a disgrace for its work on the ‘botched’ A585 bypass at Windy Harbour and ‘dangerous’ Norcross Roundabout.

Preston is poised to get its first council houses in more than 20 years – with new-build properties in the north of the city being eyed up for purchase.

Families across Fylde can dust off their vintage finest and prepare to step back in time as the much-loved Lytham 1940s Weekend returns this summer.

A former school caretaker who targeted children online and committed a string of sexual offences has been jailed for 12 years.

Blackpool Transport is set to freeze the price of its most popular tram and bus tickets as part of a wider review of its fare structure.

Proposals to transform part of Blackpool’s former Abingdon Street Post Office into a hotel are still being considered.

Dozens of new homes are to be built in a Chorley village amid concern over the lack of services for the people who will eventually move into them.

New operators are being sought to take over the lease of Thornton Little Theatre as owners Wyre Council look to begin a fresh chapter.

Prison sentences of almost 80 years have been handed to an OCG who supplied drugs in East Lancashire.

A car travelling north on the M6, near Garstang, was searched by officers who discovered 25kg of cocaine with a street value of approximately £2.5 million.

Plans for a creative business hub in the former St John’s Church in Blackburn took a major step forward this week, as councillors agreed to appoint Barnfield Construction as contractor for the £8.5million redevelopment.

Chorley Council has given the green light to a £4m refurbishment of one of the borough’s leisure centres.

Parents across Lancashire are being reminded to ensure that their children’s measles vaccinations are up-to-date after an outbreak of the potentially fatal disease in London.

As one of Blackpool’s seafront attractions is set to disappear, another is lined up to replace it, if plans get the go ahead.

Political leaders across Lancashire are readying their troops to fight local elections that it appeared were never going to happen, after the government staged a dramatic U-turn over a previous decision to scrap electoral contests.

Hundreds of families created unforgettable memories in Lytham as the town centre transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland for the fourth annual Fylde Ice Festival.

VisitBlackpool’s Visitor Information Centre has a new home inside the world-famous Blackpool Tower.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a woman in her 70s was left with life threatening injuries following a road traffic collision in Preston.

A teenager driver and his passenger suffered serious injuries following a collision involving two cars and a lorry on the M6 last night.

A teenager has been left with serious injuries after a collision in Blackpool.

Disabled people across Lancashire are being encouraged to think about taking up curling after a wheelchair club in the county was given a cash boost to help it fund the cost of training sessions.

Blackpool’s multi-million pound Multiversity project will go back before the council’s planning committee this month as councillors consider various proposed changes.