Central Radio News

Blackpool businesses can continue to receive free support thanks to an extension of existing funding.  

A new town centre car park has been branded a ‘tarmac desert’ by a councillor who had called for the space to be transformed into a green space instead.

Town hall officials are monitoring a plot of land in Darwen after fears were raised it is being developed for an unauthorised travellers’ camp.

Half of a Blackburn town centre car park is to be shut for the duration of the £9million renovation of King George’s Hall.

A man has been jailed for seven years for raping a woman in Darwen.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given another £2.786million of government Levelling Up grants.

Work has begun to build a new passenger handling terminal at Blackpool Airport as the Squires Gate hub continues with its expansion plans.

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.

Police are appealing for information after a man was stabbed in Accrington.

A new Community Beach Hub has opened on St Annes Beach.

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

Work to prepare for the building of Blackburn’s scaled-back flagship multi-million pound skills and education campus including the diversion of a main sewer across the town centre site has been authorised.

A property in Blackpool linked to drug-dealing has been closed down.

Police are searching for a man wanted on recall to prison.

Blackpool Council has agreed to waive its road closure fees for residents planning to mark VE Day with a street party.

Blackburn with Darwen’s Mayor Cllr Brian Taylor will hold a second charity quiz night on Thursday.

A social housing group who manage around 19,000 homes have started a rebrand which includes a controversial name change.

A body has been found in the search for a missing man.

A legal bid to overturn the government’s decision to build a third prison in a single Chorley village has failed.

A man has been arrested following a knife-related incident on Blackpool Promenade.

Youngsters from Blackpool have seen their creative work go on display at Westminster for the second time after being chosen to put on an exhibition.

One person was treated for a head injury following a crash in Chorley.

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Police are appealing for help in identifying several people after an rape incident in Preston.

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

A sexual predator from Blackburn has been jailed after more than a decade of abuse.

Burnley’s James Anderson, England cricket’s record Test wicket taker, is to be given a knighthood for services to the sport.

Residents in Thornton are being asked to have their say about how to improve a public open space.

There were angry exchanges at a Wyre Council’s full council meeting last night as emotions ran high during a discussion over the noxious, stinking landfill site which has been plaguing communities for over a year.

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

A man has been found guilty of sexual offences against children in Rawtenstall.

Protesters against the Fleetwood landfill site at the centre of noxious emissions across the area are to hold another demonstration – in the chamber of Wyre Council.

Accrington and Rossendale College has been awarded a £1.5million grant to invest in upgrading its college buildings.

The £13million Covid-delayed second stage of a major Blackburn housing development is now back on the starting grid.

Residents are being urged to make a pledge not to drop litter as Blackpool bids to keep its streets clean this summer.

Plans to demolish dilapidated old fish-processing buildings on Fleetwood Docks will first have to wait to see if bats are present.

Five East Lancashire Household Waste Recycling Centres will this week be open as normal after closing over the weekend following unprecedented weekend demand during the recent good weather.

Ambitious plans to bring one of Poulton’s most distinctive buildings back to life have now been lodged with planners at Wyre.

Blackburn’s outer circle bus route scrapped in 2016 will start to run again next month – with a new service to and from Ewood Park for midweek Rovers home games.

As families head to the coast to enjoy the Easter school break, the RNLI has revealed the results of a survey which shows large gaps in tidal knowledge.

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

A company which has managed air shows around the world has been chosen to take charge of Blackpool Air Show now in its 115th year.

Darwen’s historic town hall is to close next month for several weeks for a £350,000 refurbishment.

Police in Burnley have charged a man with sexually assaulting two underage girls.

Illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes worth £25,000 have been seized in Burnley.

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.

A controversial housing scheme in Thornton has been approved by Wyre’s planning committee – pending a key agreement.

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.

Ambitious plans to build a new M&S store at Norcross have created much interest – but concerns have been expressed this week about its effect on local trade as well as nearby roads.

The site of what was one of Blackpool’s most luxurious stores in its heyday is set for a new lease of life after proposals to transform the building were given the go ahead.

Blackpool’s Tramtown museum is gearing up to re-open to visitors this Easter in a move which will help preserve the town’s famous fleet of heritage trams for the future.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a large cannabis farm at a property on Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a woman following a fatal collision in Nelson.

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

Recently, police renewed appeals for information in the hope of solving the mystery surrounding the tragic death of a newborn baby boy in Kirkham more than 13 years ago. 

Rossendale’s Marl Pits Leisure Centre looks set for a £1.4million grant boost for new heating equipment and other measures to cut energy use, emissions and bills.

Detailed plans for Blackpool’s £65m Multiversity education campus have got the go ahead after the council’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the proposals.

Fylde Council has announced a new opportunity for developers and operators to bring the rapidly growing sport of padel tennis to Fairhaven Lake and Gardens.

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.

An East Lancashire football club needs a new land lease agreement to help it upgrade its ground in an era of change.

Trees are being planted in urban spaces across Blackpool thanks to a £1.8m fund.

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.

Work on repairing the roof of Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre and Theatre will start in June with a scheduled completion date of October.

Firefighters from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service are tackling a fire on the Shadsworth Industrial Estate, Sett End Road in Blackburn.

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

The government has refused to back a bid by Wyre Council to prevent any more new homes being given the go-ahead in an area with heightened levels of a cancer-causing chemical.

A new exhibition highlighting Blackpool’s crucial role in sustaining national morale during the Second World War is set to open at the resort’s Showtown museum.

Senior councillors have called for the temporary closure of a major East Lancashire rubbish tip plagued by smells and flocks of gulls.

Blackpool is no longer the town with the highest rate of children living in care as efforts to keep families together are achieving results.

Maternity services in Blackpool continue to be monitored at a national level but a new report says an action plan to improve care is close to completion.

Officers and staff from Lancashire Police were joined by the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw, alongside contractors Willmott Dixon at the site of the new Pendle Police Station as it reaches a significant point of its build.

A man has been jailed for historic sexual offences against a ten-year-old-girl in Blackburn.

A plan to build a new waste transfer site in Bacup, which prompted hundreds of objections, has been cancelled.

A man has been charged with exposure after an alleged incident in Blackpool.

A Fleetwood man was found in possession of £20,000 worth of drugs following a stop.

Town centre offices which have been empty since 2018 look set to finally secure planning permission for redevelopment after previous attempts have failed.

A scheme to convert space above a Wetherspoon’s pub on Blackpool Promenade into flats has got the go ahead but with the number of apartments reduced by more than half.

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.

Steps to protect Blackpool children from irresponsible drivers have seen new metal warning signs unveiled at a primary school.

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

The popular Splash Park in Promenade Gardens, St Annes, will reopen for the season on Saturday 5 April.

The world-famous Red Arrows display team have confirmed they will return to Blackpool this summer to perform on both days of the annual Air Show.

The completion date for an £11million revamp of an East Lancashire heritage-listed Victorian market hall has slipped from the end of this month until late summer or even autumn this year.

The search for a new investor to redevelop the Blackpool Central site has been taken to one of the biggest property conferences in the world.

Residents of an East Lancashire village are to get a new free to use cash machine.

A revised scheme to transform a former Pizza Hut outlet on Cleveleys seafront into padel tennis courts and refreshments has been lodged with planners – this time entailing the demolition of the former fast food building.

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

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

Blackpool and The Fylde College is celebrating after being rated ‘Good’ following its latest Ofsted inspection with four areas of work highlighted as ‘Outstanding’.

Final plans for the construction of Blackpool’s £65m Multiversity are due to go before councillors who are being recommending to support the scheme.

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.

The Keep Blackpool Tidy campaign has a new mascot – with Bertie the dog now leading the way on ensuring the resort’s streets are clean.

Kirkham swimming pool could reopen after Fylde Council pledged money to repair it following storm damage.

Police are renewing an appeal for information in the hope they can solve the mystery surrounding the tragic death of a newborn baby boy. 

Police documents have revealed how boy racers are putting members of the public at risk in Blackpool with “hundreds of cars” reported to be “racing up and down Yeadon Way”.

The latest tourism figures show another jump in Blackpool’s visitor numbers with the annual total now reaching 21.57 million.

Four Lancashire branches of Santander bank are to close, it has been announced.

A new agreement between Burnley Borough Council and Cliviger Parish Council will make the playing field on Mount Lane available for community use.

Recently, the Mayor of Padiham, Cllr Mac Harrison, residents, councillors, partners and funders came together to celebrate the official opening of the Hive in Padiham.  

An East Lancashire teenager has been jailed after trying to escape from officers in Blackburn.

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.

Images depicting a bold vision for the rejuvenation of Blackpool’s deprived inner areas have emerged, setting out hopes of replacing rundown streets with modern housing, shops and green spaces.

Former textile worker turned Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery’s oldest volunteer is set to spend his 90th birthday telling stories of the industry which made the town.

Police have charged five people following a spate of burglaries across East Lancashire.

Stevie Wonder will open his Love, Light & Song UK Tour in an exclusive outdoor headline full show at Lytham Festival in July.

A new planning application has been submitted detailing plans to transform Darwen Market Hall as part of the £100m Town Deal.

The Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund nationally provided a total of £80m to local authorities in England as a support package for public leisure facilities with swimming pools. The funding was released in two phases.

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.

East Lancashire football club has been banned from holding events with live or amplified music at its two function venues.

Sold signs have gone up outside Blackpool’s former Abingdon Street Post Office which is earmarked for a £26m renovation into an Indigo-branded hotel.

The multi-million pound renovation of East Lancashire’s premier entertainment venue has taken a major step forward.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a large cannabis farm at a property on Trafalgar Street, Burnley.

Regeneration chiefs have revealed the first Blackpool streets set to be transformed as part of a £90m housing project.

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 new report has revealed trouble hotspots in Blackpool and shows more than 40 per cent of anti-social behaviour happens in just three areas of the town.

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.

A man has been jailed for driving his van dangerously through East Lancashire.

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

Three people who died in suspected drug related deaths in Blackpool could have taken contaminated heroin, according to police.

A man has been jailed after attacking a man during disorder in Blackpool last summer.

A man has been jailed for 10 years for an assault which left his victim with a bleed on the brain.

A man has been given a three-year football banning order after entering the pitch during Burnley fixture with Middlesbrough in December.

The starting gun for the restoration of the west wing of an historic East Lancashire stately home is set to be fired.

Blackpool is seeking a ‘dynamic’ aviation expert to take charge of Blackpool Air Show which draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Residents in Thornton have a chance to find out more about proposals for a new waste processing facility earmarked for and at the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone.

An East Lancashire local authority is to spend £200,000 to persuade the almost one-fifth of its borough residents to give up smoking.

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.

Lancashire County Council and Fylde Council have announced a new strategic partnership, for which in-principle funding has been committed.

A man has been arrested after three suspected drug related deaths in Blackpool.

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.

A man has been jailed for carrying out a knife-point robbery at a shop in Nelson. 

Allotment holders and residents who live within 1 kilometre of an industrial site in Thornton-Cleveleys are advised to take a precautionary approach to eating home grown produce while an investigation into potential contamination in the area takes place.

Six fraudsters have been jailed for a combined total of over 25 years for conning elderly victims out of over £1 million from a call centre in Blackburn.

A new report which focuses on Blackpool pupils has revealed how use of smart phones is damaging reading skills.

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

Plans for a new, ultra-modern Fisherman’s Friend factory in Fleetwood have taken a step forward.

Fylde Council is exploring ways to enhance Clifton Street for residents, visitors, and businesses while preserving its heritage charm.

A commitment to working towards signing a ‘Pledge for a Healthy and Active Future’ (PHAF) is already showing positive wellbeing benefits for students at Blackpool’s Park Community Academy.

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

The Conservative leader of Ribble Valley Council is to step down from the position after six years and hopes to take on a new role.

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

Two men have been charged, after police received reports of a number of burglaries and attempted burglaries in Blackburn.

Burnley Council will oppose any plans to merge the borough into a single East Lancashire all-purpose local authority including neighbouring Blackburn with Darwen.

A woman from Blackpool who failed to seek veterinary help for her dog who suffered ‘weeks of suffering’ has been banned from keeping animals for 15 years.

A man has been jailed for engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour with a woman he was previously in a relationship with.

An elderly driver who killed his wife after carrying out an illegal U-turn on a busy A road has been sentenced.

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

Businesses and organisations across Burnley have voted in support of continuing the town’s Business Improvement District (BID) for another five-year term.

A Burnley man has been given a lengthy prison sentence for sexual offences against a vulnerable teenager.

A national and local joint investigation into council tax liabilities has identified nearly £290k which could be used to support Blackpool’s services for its residents. 

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

Pendle Council-owned leisure centres look set for investment in the borough’s new budget, along with funds allocated to buy empty homes through compulsory purchase and get them back in use.

The 115-year-old Blackburn Empire Theatre can now create a new dance studio, reception office and entrance.

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 witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision in Hapton.

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

A Fleetwood man has been jailed for conveying drugs into prison.

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

An official traveller’s site should be provided on the Fylde coast for use by transient gypsies and travellers which would help prevent them camping illegally, a new report has suggested.

Shakespeare will not only be available on the shelves when Blackpool libraries host performances which will bring live theatre and music into their communities.

A ceramic artist from a village in Wyre features in an award-winning BBC show next week.

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.

Police are appealing for information after a collision on the M65 left two people, including a child, injured.

A Blackpool job-seeker says she has applied for more than 5,000 jobs in four years without success – but still remains optimistic of getting back into employment.

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

A shake-up at Blackpool’s £13m Showtown museum has seen some staff made redundant and an overhaul of the way the attraction runs.

New contracts have been handed out to maintain public safety on Blackpool’s famous Promenade which attracts millions of visitors a year.

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

NHS bosses have been urged to step up security at the controversially closed Accrington Victoria Hospital after it has been repeatedly targeted by vandals.

Residents living in an average band D property in Blackpool will pay an extra £115 in council tax in the new financial year after an increase of almost five per cent was agreed by the council.

Regeneration chiefs are poised to reveal which streets will be chosen for the first phase of a massive £90m housing regeneration project.

A Wellbeing Farm and wedding venue, where the star attraction is llamas in bow ties, had a visit from Rossendale & Darwen MP Andy McNae last week.

Police are appealing for information and footage after a 16-year-old girl suffered serious injuries following a collision in Blackpool.

The developer behind a flagship multi-million pound Blackburn housing estate has scrapped plans to construct more four-bedroomed homes on it because it cannot sell the ones it has already built.

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

Plans are in the pipeline to introduce apprentice opportunities for Fleetwood’s thriving fish processing sector- and create new jobs for the future.

Lancashire’s influence in creating the long-distance Pennine Way footpath will be highlighted this spring when the route’s 60th anniversary is celebrated along with key individuals who championed its creation.

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

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s annual finance council meeting will this evening be asked to raise the borough’s council tax by 4.99% from April 1.

Plans have been unveiled for an ambitious new lighting scheme in Blackpool town centre including a possible canopy over one pedestrian area.