Preston, Leyland & Chorley News

Preston’s Spud Bros look set to be granted permission to replace the city’s iconic hot potato tram with a larger unit.

A kitchen fire in Morecambe caused by a dishwasher has prompted firefighters to issue an urgent reminder about the risks of running appliances overnight or when no one is around.

Lancashire’s 15 main councils have been urged to work together in order to agree a vision for what will replace them when they are all abolished.

Two delivery men who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in her own home, have been jailed.

A ground breaking £2 million youth and community centre has opened in Preston.

Two men have been jailed after trying to arrange the sale of a deadly handgun over an encrypted global communication service used by criminals.

During the last two weeks police have carried out a series of warrants targeting people suspected of operating drug lines to supply heroin and cocaine in Preston.

The family of a motorbike rider who died after a collision in Walton-le-Dale this week have paid tribute to him.

Three friends from Lancashire are aiming to complete an epic charity challenge to climb the ten highest mountains in Scotland back to back as fast as possible.

Senior Preston councillors are being urged to delay plans to demolish an historic pub – and instead consider whether it could be turned to a heritage centre for the city.

A life of glitz and glam from Preston, to Benidorm and even Longridge has been told.

A multi-agency day of action by a road safety partnership found that none of the part-worn tyres inspected at a series of garages across Preston met legal requirements.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, has joined growing calls for urgent government action to address disruptions on the M6 motorway.

A Leyland man has been jailed after a stop and search found him to be carrying a knife.

Plans have been unveiled to build a block of flats alongside the depot where Preston Bus is based.

The leader of Lancashire County Council says the search for savings within the authority is designed to enable money to be reinvested in the “frontline services” on which people rely.

Prayers have been held at a Hindu temple in Preston to remember those who lost their lives in the Air India crash this week.

A number of well-known local figures have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list.

Nigel Farage has told the new Reform UK administration at Lancashire County Council that how they perform will play a part in how well the party does at the next general election in 2029.

A man who raped a young woman on her way home from a night out in Preston has been jailed for 13 years.

A new indoor sports centre in Preston will be based around padel and five-a-side football, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

King Charles has visited Lancaster Castle, his first engagement in Lancashire since he became Monarch.

North West Ambulance Service has been handed nearly £8 million to upgrade its ambulance fleet.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a baby by dangerous driving.

A thunderstorm warning has seen Preston's Jazzin’ the Park 2025 move indoors today.

People in Preston aged 55 to 74 who have ever smoked and are registered with a participating GP practice, will soon be invited for potentially life-saving lung cancer screening.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a baby by dangerous driving.

A burglar who targeted homes in Preston, including that of a pensioner in his 90s, has been jailed.

Arriving in Preston speaking no English aged just five-years-old, Kailash Parekh has gone on to become a pillar of the city's community.

A new housing development on the outskirts of Preston is set to include a school and care home – if it gets the go-ahead.

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.

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. 

Community and voluntary groups in Preston have been told they will not be left in limbo after it emerged government cash earmarked for local projects will take longer to come through than first expected.

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.

The county council's new leader and cabinet have been announced at its full council meeting.

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.

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.

A free shuttle bus that ferries staff between the Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble hospitals is to be scrapped as part of a cost-cutting drive.

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.

The Reform UK group that now controls Lancashire County Council will elect a leader this Saturday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

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.

Two people have been charged as part of an ongoing investigation into a collision in Bamber Bridge which left a baby boy dead and his mother seriously injured.

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.

One of Preston’s favourite live music venues, 53 Degrees, is set to make a triumphant return in August after nearly a decade of closure.

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.

Preston’s Neighbourhood Policing Team have been out and about over the last few days tackling issues raised by the local community.

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.

Escaping from the clutches of the gas chambers aged just three - Lady Milena has reflected on her life as an adopted Prestonian ever since.

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.

Three people have been arrested after a stabbing 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.

Detectives investigating the death of a baby in Fulwood have charged a man with his murder.

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.

A criminal gang who smuggled drugs and phones into prisons in Preston and Lancaster have been given lengthy jail sentences.

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.

Teams from local businesses and charities across Preston will come together at the University of Central Lancashire’s Sports Arena to compete in the third Preston City Games 2025.

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.

A Chorley councillor has been convicted of assaulting a member of the public in the town hall.

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 highways bosses have revealed they plan to carry out 126 road resurfacing schemes over the next 12 months.

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.

Police are appealing for information after a man died following a collision in Chorley.

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%.

Lancashire County Council’s share of Council Tax is to rise by almost 5%, as the authority set out their spending plans for the next year.

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.

The second stage of a scheme to replace traffic lights at key junctions in Preston is set to begin next week.

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.

Registration is now open for the highly anticipated Chorley 10K and 2K Family Run, set to take place on Sunday, 4 May 2025.

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.

Officers have seized three off-road bikes and a quad bike which were being driven in an anti-social manner.

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.

Preston City Council is launching a night service for rough sleepers in the city.

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.

The boss of the trust that runs Chorley and South Ribble Hospital has said the closure of one of its wards is among the “real-world impacts” of the financial difficulties facing the organisation.

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.

Preston will not lose any of the £20m it was awarded in ‘levelling up’ cash – in spite of changing how it plans to spend it.

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.

Details have been revealed about how Preston’s distinctive row of red phone boxes will be kept in pristine condition once the booths return to their city centre home this spring.

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.

Preston City Council is ramping up its recycling efforts with the continuation of its "Join Us" campaign, supported by Beyondly and Pledge2Recycle Plastics.

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 are investigating after a cannabis grow was found in Preston.

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.

Members of the public are being invited to have their say on the proposed site for a new hospital for Preston.

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.

Lancashire Police arrested 331 people for drink or drug driving related offences in December 2024, 24% more than last year.

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.

Half of the new homes planned as part of a major expansion of Preston have now been completed.

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.