Preston, Leyland & Chorley News

The problems that have beset bin collections in Preston in recent weeks are partly due to a delay in the delivery of the new vehicles needed to pick up food waste, the leader of the city council has said.

Chorley Council has been successful in securing an additional £1 million of funding to ensure Brinscall Pool stays fit for the future, enabling work to take place to improve the efficiency of the 100-year-old building.

A developer that has three times been refused permission to build a housing estate in the Preston countryside is making a fourth attempt to get the green light for the scheme.

Royal Preston Hospital has installed new graphics in its Paediatric Emergency Department to create a calmer and more welcoming environment for young patients.

Preston City Council has confirmed additional funding for community events taking place in and around the city centre.

A former high school teacher from Chorley who took more than a million upskirt images of pupils using secret cameras hidden in pens.

Preston’s colourful calendar of community events will soon receive a further investment boost, as an uplift in funding has been confirmed.

Lancashire County Council is asking people to have their say on plans to create 220 extra SEND places in the county.

Works are now underway to deliver major improvements at two of Preston’s much‑loved parks, Moor Park and Waverley Park, following approval for multimillion‑pound investment last year.

Matthew Brown is set to remain the leader of Preston City Council after the Labour group on the authority backed him to stay in the post.

Preston’s new Tram Bridge will officially open to the public on Friday 22 May, with a grand opening ceremony and a week-long community programme to celebrate.

A controversial bid to build up to 1,300 homes on farmland in South Ribble has been kicked out by councillors – with one of them condemning the planned development as “an absolute crime”.

A rogue roofer who scammed an 82 year old Preston householder out of thousands of pounds has been given a five-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.

A man has been charged with making a bomb threat and sending threatening communication in Preston.

Cheryl Taylor has been named chair of the new Ribbleton Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board, which will manage £20 million of Government regeneration funding over the next decade.

Criminals targeted more than a dozen Lancashire churches a month last year.

Labour has lost its sole grip on power at Preston City Council after the authority slipped into no overall control following the local elections.

North West Ambulance Service chief executive Salman Desai has been named in the Health Service Journal’s Top 50 NHS Chief Executives list for 2026.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation has thanked cardiac physiologist Kat Smith after she completed the Manchester Marathon as part of a major fundraising challenge

Lancashire Police says a man has been charged following the theft of a charity collection box from a McDonald’s restaurant in Leyland.

Reform UK has surged to become the official opposition on Chorley Council after winning half of the seats that were contested at the local elections.

The family of Philip Hayes, who died following a collision on Preston Road, Coppull, last week, have paid tribute to him.

A Preston student has won the prestigious Alice Guy Blaché Award as part of this year’s Film Buddy Festival.

Three men from Liverpool have been jailed for a series of cash machine thefts in areas including Fleetwood and Chorley, and stealing emergency cutting equipment used to save peoples’ lives.

A man from Chorley has been charged with making antisemitic comments aimed at the Jewish community.

Preston’s flagship cultural event, Encounter Festival, has been awarded £79,000 from Arts Council England marking a significant investment in the city’s creative future.

A leading member of Reform UK-led Lancashire County Council has announced his plans to withdraw the local authority from the government’s refugee resettlement scheme.

Lancashire Police has no immediate plans to introduce a new type of speed camera that can see into vehicles and capture other motoring offences, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

A legendary Preston nightspot that reverberated to the music of the moment for more than half a century is to be turned into a storage facility.

A Preston resident has branded an overhaul of bin collection rounds in the city “chaotic” – after three of his pick-ups were missed in the space of a week.

A former butcher has been found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault around 50 years after he committed them.

A 30-storey building that will become the tallest tower block in Lancashire is set to spring up in Preston city centre after being given the go-ahead by councillors.

A seasonal bus service linking Chorley, Adlington and Rivington will return from Sunday 3 May, helping people travel to Rivington on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

A woman who launched a knife attack on a man outside a pub in Penwortham, has been given a sentence of more than 10 years.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man died following a collision in Coppull this morning.

Police have made two arrests after they attended a funeral directors in Preston earlier today.

Runners will take over the town centre for the return of the annual Chorley 10K and 2K Family Run over the weekend.

A family have paid tribute to an ‘outgoing woman who would do anything for anyone’ who died following a road traffic collision in Preston.

A burglar has been jailed for more than three years after carrying out two high-value break-ins in Poulton-le-Fylde and Preston. 

A man has been given a hospital order after stamping on and kicking a Preston dad to death last year.

Two men from Preston have been convicted – and one jailed for more than 20 years - following the collection of cocaine worth £26.5 million which was dropped off at sea off the Somerset coast.

Preston City Council has formally submitted expressions of interest to include two of the city’s most cherished traditions - Preston Guild and Preston Egg Rolling - within the UK’s UNESCO Living Heritage inventories.

More than £140,000 worth of illegal tobacco has been taken off the streets following a coordinated day of action involving police and partner agencies in Preston.

Teams from local businesses and charities across Preston will come together to compete in the annual Preston City Games.

The historic setting of Lancaster Castle will host a prestigious honours ceremony later this week, as local recipients are presented with the British Empire Medal.

Plans to build what would become Lancashire’s tallest skyscraper in the heart of Preston are set to be given the go-ahead by councillors.

There are not yet any confirmed tenants for a major industrial, retail and leisure development planned for South Ribble – almost two-and-a-half years after it was given the green light.

The new incarnation of Preston’s Old Tram Bridge will open on 22nd May, the city council has announced.

Preston Bus passengers will no longer be able to enjoy £1 travel on more than half a dozen of the firm’s services after it announced it was withdrawing from a scheme that capped fares for some off-peak journeys.

More than 98% of Lancashire children starting primary school in September have been offered a place at one of their three preferred primary schools.

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

Preston City Council’s series of new waste and recycling initiatives begin next week

The family of a man who died in a collision in Rivington have paid a heartfelt tribute to him.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

A former police officer from Preston has been jailed after admitting to perverting the course of justice.

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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Organisers have launched a crowdfunder to help secure the future of the 2026 event in Preston’s Miller Park.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

A man has been jailed after admitting to killing his baby son in Fulwood.

Lancashire County Council has appointed a professional design team to work in partnership with the authority to deliver the £13.2m Innovation Hub at the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone.

The demolition of a historic Preston city centre pub will definitely go ahead after a senior councillor said he could not “justify” the cost that would be involved in keeping it standing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

King Charles visits Lancashire today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Six of the seven local elections due to take place in Lancashire in May have been called off by the government.

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

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

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

Students at Preston College will take part in a 24-hour Danceathon next month to celebrate the life of a much-loved student and raise money for a local charity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gritting crews are continuing their work to keep Lancashire's roads safe and open as a Met Office yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in place.

If you missed the Wallace and Gromit exhibition in Preston, you can still catch it – but it now requires a fairly long journey south.

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

New cameras designed to catch motorists making unlawful manoeuvres on Lancashire’s roads are finally set to be switched on in the coming weeks – a year after they were first intended to go live.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The owner of The Book Stop’s Here says falling footfall and a disastrous market move have made the business no longer viable.

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

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

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

A joint operation between Lancashire Police and British Transport Police to break down county lines drug dealing in Preston led to several arrests and the seizure of drugs.

The government has indicated that local elections due to take place in Lancashire next year will go ahead – in spite of calls from four of the county’s councils to cancel them.

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

Police are appealing for witnesses after a collision in Preston left a man with serious injuries.

A sexual predator who assaulted a woman before going on to try and rape her 12-year-old daughter has been jailed.

Councillors have kicked out plans for a new housing estate on the outskirts of a Preston village – in spite of claims locals backed the development because of the new facilities that would come with it.

A Preston based holiday firm has received a nomination for two prestigious national awards, just a year after they started trading.

The Harris has enjoyed a busy time after unveiling its £19m redevelopment project, significantly surpassing visitor targets and receiving overwhelmingly positive public feedback.

Police say an eight-year-old boy suffered a head injury after a school bus hit a bridge in Coppull.

Preston is set to witness a landmark moment in its heritage as the Tram Bridge is lifted into place, following the demolition of the old structure and the reimagining of this historic crossing.

Police in Lancashire are aiming to make sure it’s a bleak winter for criminals with the launch of a new crime crackdown for Christmas and beyond.

More than 700 knives have been taken off the streets across Lancashire’s South Division as part of Operation Sceptre, a national week-long initiative to tackle knife crime.

A Chorley man died two days after being assaulted by a friend in a pub beer garden in an argument over food they were eating.

A woman in her 80s has suffered serious injuries in a collision in Preston.

Detectives are appealing for a key witness to come forward after a person was found dead at Preston railway station on Saturday morning.

Preston City Council has become the latest authority in Lancashire to push for the cancellation of next year’s local elections – prompting opposition politicians to cry foul.

A man has been given a prison sentence of more than 20 years for raping and sexually assaulting a girl.

Families invited to climb aboard Preston’s festive steam train for a magical journey with Father Christmas this December

A heartfelt call to the community to donate unwrapped gifts or vouchers — helping ensure every child and young person supported by Barnardo’s in Lancashire receives a present this Christmas.