Preston, Leyland & Chorley News

Lancashire County Council is next on the list to get a visit from a Reform UK team that has modelled itself on Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the United States.

Plans for a new estate in Leyland have been kicked out by councillors amid concerns that they would pose a danger to children walking to and from school.

Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings starred again as he hit 95 in his team's 47-run victory against Nottinghamshire in cricket's T20 Blast.

Police are searching for 15-year-old boy wanted in connection with breaching a court order.

The boss of Preston Bus is calling for urgent safety improvements on the M6.

Police have charged a man following an investigation into historical sexual abuse.

A Preston man who raped and sexually assaulted a woman has been jailed.

The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the north-west of England following the driest start to spring in 69 years.

King Charles will make an official visit to Lancaster next month, his first trip to Lancashire since becoming monarch, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Chorley Police have teamed up with Lancashire Trading Standards and young volunteers from across the area to conduct an under-age sales operation as part of Operation Sceptre – a national, intensive week of action to tackle knife crime. 

Hospital bosses have moved to reassure cancer patients in Lancashire that they will get the same standard of radiotherapy treatment – regardless of whether or not it is delivered by a new state-of-the-art machine coming to the county.

Preston City Council has announced Asian inspired Japanese restaurant, Wagamama is to open at its newly launched £45million Animate leisure scheme.

A Leyland man has admitted kidnapping and raping a woman at knifepoint.

Preston “desperately needs” more of the top quality office space that could attract government departments to the city, according to a local business group.

A burglar who targeted a home in Preston has been jailed.

A new date has been set for the start of demolition work on three tower blocks on the outskirts of Preston city centre.

While we might have been enjoying some balmy temperatures and the thermostats have been turned down - we'll soon see energy bills back in the headlines.

Asian-inspired restaurant chain Wagamama is set to open an outlet in Preston’s Animate cinema and leisure complex, it has emerged.

Police are investigating an assault which left a man with serious injuries over the weekend.

A veteran Leyland politician is set to take over as the leader of South Ribble Borough Council – just weeks after losing his seat on another local authority on which he served.

Two people were rescued after getting stuck in mud last night.

A shoplifter from Chorley has been jailed for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) preventing him from entering shops in the town.

Lancashire Police have provided an update on the moorland fire in the Rivington area earlier this week.

A Preston shop, trading under the name of PR1 Euro Mini Market, on Church Street, has been banned from selling any tobacco or vaping products for 12 months.

The next leader of Lancashire County Council is set to be Cllr Stephen Atkinson.

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a man was seriously injured in a collision in Preston.

The defeat suffered by the Conservatives in last week’s Lancashire County Council elections was more a reflection of the national political mood than the result of discontent with local services, according to the new leader of the Tory group on the authority.

One of the heritage jewels in the heart of the city is at the centre of the latest edition of The Parched Pea Podcast.

Preston City Council will proudly mark both VE Day and VJ Day in 2025 with a series of commemorative events in the city centre, following requests from local veterans and community members.

The third stage of a scheme to replace traffic lights at key junctions in Preston is set to begin over the weekend.

Two of Reform UK’s victorious candidates in the Lancashire County Council elections have admitted to being shocked to find themselves as part of the group that will now take charge of the authority.

Reform UK is set to take control of Lancashire County Council following the local elections.

A derelict building in Preston city centre is to be demolished.

Three burglars who targeted homes across Chorley have been jailed for a total of 10 years.

Now in its sixth year the creative brains behind The Lancashire Festival has lifted the lid on the inclusive arts event in the city.

Work has officially commenced on the Serpentine Lake at Moor Park.

Lancashire Police are looking to trace the family and friends of a man who was very sadly found dead in Preston last week.

A former social club in Preston is to be turned into a snooker hall after planners ruled the sport was sufficiently quiet for the residential street where it will now be played.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a large cannabis grow in Preston.

A 17-year-old was arrested after a 135mph pursuit along the M6 and M65.

Preston’s famous hot potato tram could be in line for its biggest facelift in the 70 years since it was established, as its current social media-star operators plan a huge overhaul.

Police attended incident at Rivington this morning after suspected grenades were discovered.

A Chorley man who saved a stranger’s life by donating stem cells, and is calling on others to sign up to do the same.

A motorcycle rider has died following a collision in Chorley.

A 54-year-old man has been jailed for 27 years for the attempted murder of a British Transport Police (BTP) Special Constable.

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the Chorley Flower Show will return from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 July.

Cricket is to make a return to Preston’s Moor Park later this summer – a year after vandals stopped play.

A podcast lifting the lid on life in Preston and named after a Lancashire delicacy is up for two national awards.

Police are asking for help after a man in his 70s was assaulted while walking his dog in Penwortham this week.

If you’re looking for some family friendly things to do over the Easter school holiday, then Chorley is the place to be.

Lancashire Police will be conducting both high visibility and plain clothed patrols across the county’s pubs and clubs this Easter as part of its continued efforts to crack down on crime, including violence against women and girls.

Part of a renovated building in Preston city centre is set to be converted into a takeaway and shop – after a plan to reopen it as a pub was abandoned.

Lancashire Police seized 51 off road vehicles after successfully executing a multi-departmental operation across the county last weekend as part of Op Centurion.

A fourth person has been arrested by Lancashire Police following a stabbing near to Moor Park in Preston on Monday afternoon.

A man has been jailed for more than four years after twice being arrested in possession of large amounts of drugs in Preston.

Preston’s much-loved Egg Rolling event is back this Easter Monday, promising a day packed with fun, entertainment, and tradition.

Preston’s Encounter Festival will return on Saturday, September 20, marking its tenth anniversary with its most ambitious programme yet.

A major new estate of almost 450 homes planned for the suburbs of Preston will feature more than half a dozen different sizes and types of property – ranging from one-bedroom apartments to four bedroom detached houses.

People across Chorley town centre were celebrating the written, spoken and sung word this weekend at literary festival ‘What’s Your Story, Chorley?, with over 30 authors, poets, actors, artists and musicians taking part.

Preston should merge with Lancaster and Ribble Valley as part of a forthcoming shake-up of local government, the city’s councillors are set to argue.

South Ribble’s MP has called on the government to set an exact date by which it will end the use of a hotel in his constituency as accommodation for asylum seekers – almost three years after it was closed to the public for that purpose.

A bid to install a series of digital advertising screens across Preston city centre has been rejected over concerns they would clutter the street.

A second set of indoor padel tennis courts are set to come to Preston, just weeks after the first opened.

Newly-built houses in Chorley are being targeted by burglars for their fixtures and fittings – before anyone has even moved in.

A radical revamp of Lancashire’s councils could end up creating a system that is £11m a year more expensive to run than the one it replaces – in spite of one of the aims of the change being to save money.

Better bus links in Preston, Chorley and South Ribble will be starting this month. 

A man seriously injured in an assault in Preston last week has died.

An innovative new traffic management tool that aims to improve reliability for buses in real time through the power of AI is being trialled in Preston.

Police have charged a man following two burglaries in Preston.

Intelligent traffic lights that reduce the need for vehicles to stop and start will form a key part of plans to cut congestion on one of the busiest routes in Central Lancashire.

Illegal cigarettes and vapes worth around £2000 have been seized after a multi-agency day of action in Plungington.

A burglar who targeted multiple homes in Preston City Centre has been jailed for more than six years.

Calls have been made for bus fares to be reduced back to £2 a trip.

The Council Tax Support scheme in Preston is changing to help more working age people pay their council tax bills, depending on their circumstances.

A proposed new regional bank will have its headquarters in Preston, it has emerged.

An investigation is underway after a man was seriously injured in an assault in Preston.

Lancashire Police have thanked motorists for their patience after a stretch of the M6 had be closed for more than 18 hours.

Plans are afoot to try to ensure the historic Preston Guild festival survives the abolition of the council responsible for staging it.

Preston City Council has successfully commissioned the Activation of Active Travel Programme to four local providers who will support residents to become happier and healthier as they get more active through cycling, wheeling and walking.

Solar panels are to be installed on the roof Preston’s Fulwood Leisure Centre to help reduce its energy bills and ensure it remains open.

Lancashire Police have seized drugs and cash as part of a national crackdown on cannabis cultivation. 

Police are appealing for information and footage following an affray in Chorley.

Controversial plans to expand Preston’s borders have been abandoned.

Two Preston city parks have been given the green light for a multi-million pound revamp by the city’s Planning Committee this week.

The Cumberland Building Society has announced an investment in its Preston branch which will temporarily close while improvement works are carried out.

In recent months, Preston City Council has identified numerous empty buildings within the city centre where community safety, preventing anti-social behaviour and/or preserving their heritage value needs to be addressed.

The vast majority of children due to attend secondary school in Lancashire will get to go to their preferred school this September, it has been confirmed.

A convicted paedophile who downloaded almost 400 indecent images of children has been jailed.

Police are appealing for information and footage following a fatal collision in Fulwood.

Chorley Council is raising its portion of council tax for the coming financial year by just under 3%.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after reports of an assault in Preston city centre.

Defining Chorley’s future as a top visitor destination, an ambitious destination management plan has been launched.

Councillors expressed concern about the ballooning number of bedsits in and around Chorley town centre – moments before approving dozens more of them.

It will cost more than £1m to replace the ageing traffic lights at five major junctions in Preston.

Preston’s new cinema and leisure complex will become “a great centre to the city”, according to Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park.

Police are appealing for information and footage after an elderly woman suffered serious injuries following a collision.

Part of one of Preston’s oldest pubs will be demolished, while its historic frontage will be given a facelift after plans to preserve the historic building were given the green light.

A host of improvements to boost sustainable travel and increase connectivity by rail to Manchester and Preston and elsewhere in the region could be in the pipeline for five train stations in and around Chorley.

The Honorary Freeman of Preston Nick Park CBE, multi-award winning filmmaker and Preston-born creator of the animated, loveable heroes Wallace & Gromit, will be visiting his hometown to officially open the city’s £45m+ Animate entertainment and leisure destination. 

Local station brings live show from the first full day of the ARC Cinema, featuring exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes insights.

Popular local podcast returns with more fascinating stories from the heart of Preston, hosted by former BBC broadcaster John Gillmore.

A series of digital display screens could be set to light up across Preston city centre – complete with a lifesaving piece of kit.

Lancashire County Council is planning to raise council tax by 4.99 percent at its budget next week.

Mayor Phil Crowe issues light-hearted social media plea, warning of a notorious animated villain ahead of the grand opening of Preston’s new Animate complex this Friday.

Police have charged a man following the death of a 57-year-old man in June last year.

Preston’s new youth zone is planning to offer 40 hours of activities a week when it opens later this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

Chorley’s annual literary event, 'What’s your story, Chorley?' is back across Chorley Town Centre next month.

Two men who were involved in an attack on a man in his own home, have been given sentences totalling 30 years.

A further five people have been sent to prison for their involvement in a Preston cocaine supply gang which was uncovered by Lancashire Police.

The great Astley Hall in Chorley celebrated 100 years of being open to the public last year by inviting people to share their memories and stories.

Mark Wynn has been selected as the new chief executive of Lancashire County Council.

Details have been revealed of the design of a new primary school set to be built on the outskirts of Preston.

Global superstar DJ Pete Tong, and one of the UKs biggest bands of the 90s, Embrace, are to headline this year’s ‘Preston Weekender’.

The construction of the highly anticipated Farington cricket facility in Lancashire has reached a significant milestone, with steel work for the new pavilion now underway.

Chorley Council is considering whether to change how often it empties residents’ bins.

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, was in Preston today, as he made a pledge over the future of nuclear power in the UK.

The final phase of Harris Your Place, a £16 million initiative aimed at restoring and reimagining The Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library has begun, marking a significant milestone for the project and setting the stage for a 2025 reopening.

A man remains in a serious condition in hospital after a collision on the M6 near Preston this week.

A new sports venue, ‘Just Padel’, has officially opened in Preston this week, transforming the long-vacant Staples Office Outlet on Corporation Street into a thriving hub for the increasingly popular sport of padel.

Preston City Council has re-signed The Armed Forces Covenant.

A man who travelled by taxi from Yorkshire to Lancashire where he attempted to break into houses in Chorley, has been jailed. 

Councillors are set to approve plans which will create extra school places in Lancashire for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

It will be May at the earliest before all of the outlets signed up for Preston’s new cinema and leisure complex are open.

A cheap peak-time bus fare for disabled passengers is set to be scrapped across much of Lancashire – along with free bus passes for some of the county’s young people.

A drug dealer who was caught with a suitcase full of cannabis has been jailed.

Residents in Chorley are being asked for their views on budget proposals ahead of a full council meeting in March, where the final budget will be considered.   

Seven members of a drugs gang who were involved in transporting cocaine into Preston and then distributing it, have been given prison sentences totalling nearly 50 years. 

The former Wilko store on Preston’s Deepdale Shopping Park is being readied for reopening – but as what remains a mystery.

The cost of Lancashire police to households is set to rise by the maximum permitted 5.31 per cent from April 1.

A “significant” amount of extra money will have to be invested in the upkeep of the Royal Preston Hospital now that its replacement is well over a decade away.

A new innovation hub to boost collaboration in key sectors has been announced by Lancashire County Council.

A major engagement exercise to get the public’s thoughts on the proposed sites for new hospitals in Preston and Lancaster has been indefinitely postponed after the projects were pushed back to the late 2030s.

Expect wind speeds of up to 90mph across Lancashire as Storm Eowyn approaches.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a fatal collision in Chorley.

Preston’s new cinema and leisure development, “Animate”, will officially launch on 5th February when the first venue throws open its doors.

Police have charged four people following a high value theft from a shop in Preston.

Controversial plans to build a third jail on the border of Chorley and Leyland could end up being decided in the High Court after campaigners launched a legal bid to block the project.

Plans are set to be discussed to transform how the council approaches gully cleaning with the aim to ensure that all of the council's 294,000 road gullies are visited on a regular schedule.

Chorley is preparing to launch The Sunday Session, a brand-new live music event aimed at discovering and promoting local talent across the county.

A man found dead in Rivington has been identified after a year-long investigation.

A man has died following a collision on the M6 in Lancashire yesterday afternoon.

Parents who have yet to apply for a primary school place starting this September in Lancashire are being reminded that the deadline for applications falls on Wednesday 15 January.

The government may have to make the final call on plans for a major overhaul of a Preston park after an objection from Sports England.

Highways bosses are poised to spend up to £6m on plans for a radical revamp of one of the most congested roads in Central Lancashire – in spite of there being no guarantee of the government funding also needed to make them a reality.

The rules for disabled parking at Chorley and Preston hospitals are so confusing and unhelpful that blue badge-holders are either getting fined or paying unnecessarily for their stay.

Preston’s long-awaited cinema, restaurant and leisure complex will open in phases from the middle of February, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

Police would like to speak to a man in connection with a report of a theft of a collection box from a McDonalds in Chorley.

Lancashire County Council's gritting crews are preparing to put some brand-new snow-clearing kit to the test as they get ready to tackle the severe weather predicted for this weekend.

New research has found that over a quarter of surveyed firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire are now suffering from long-term health disorders.

The number of children excluded from school in Lancashire has more than doubled over the last five years – far outstripping the rate at which exclusions have increased nationally.

BAE Systems is celebrating two new deals to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets which secure thousands of jobs at the firm’s Lancashire military aircraft factories.

A number of figures across Lancashire have been recognised in the 2025 King’s New Year Honours List.

Work on controversial plans for a new bus lane on one of the busiest roads in Preston is set to begin later this week.

2025 is set to be a big year for Preston – with a raft of long-running regeneration projects set to come to a conclusion and several other schemes poised to get under way.

Emergency work is needed to re-install and test high-voltage power cable that was stolen by thieves ahead of a major project milestone.

Loud music and barking dogs were the leading causes of noise complaint made by Preston residents about their neighbours this year.

A man has been jailed for stealing designer clothing from a store in Preston.

More than £600,000 has been added to the amount generated in fines by a bus-only zone in Preston in the space of just two months.

Almost 50 bedrooms are to be added to a Preston hotel near the M6 after city planners gave the green light to a revamp of the facility.

Following recent incidents at St Joseph’s Orphanage and 131 Church Street, which caused much disruption within Preston and the wider community, the Council has set up a dedicated Task Force to address empty and derelict buildings and the growing concerns around safety.

Lancashire County Council has unveiled plans for new bus links in Preston, Chorley and South Ribble as part of a shake-up of services from Spring 2025.

The University of Central Lancashire can begin dropping the word ‘central’

Eric Wright Civil Engineering, the principal contractor for the new Tram Bridge project, will be scaling back the construction site during the winter months and resuming work in Spring 2025.

The headteacher of a Preston sixth form college hit by strike action says he can understand why staff have resorted to walking out.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a cannabis grow in Chorley.

Neil Atherton, affectionately known as the “Bus Walker,” is gearing up for his first challenge of 2025.