Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde News

A new three-year community safety plan aimed at building on falling crime rates in Blackpool is set to be approved by the council.

The owners of up to 500 properties in Thornton have been advised to attend a drop-in session to find out more about the presence of a chemical linked to cancer.

Police in Fleetwood have won a national crime prevention award for their work tackling organised crime in the town.

Proposals to install a steel anti-vandal art feature directly onto the frontage of Sainsbury’s flagship Blackpool store have been thrown out by planners.

Police and council partners in Blackpool have secured two partial closure orders following reports of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Security fencing measuring seven-and-half feet high is to be installed along part of the Bonny Street Market site in readiness for the market reopening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Council tax payers in Wyre are being asked to pay a 2.99 percent increase in their bills as the council confirmed its budget.

Blackpool Council has played down a clash with the resort’s MP Chris Webb – a fellow Labour politician – over a financial settlement from the Government and the new council tax bill.

Police are warning people to take extra care with their bank cards following a number of thefts in Blackpool town centre.

Two men have been charged after police seized a large quantity of Class A drugs and cash during a warrant at a property in Blackpool.

20 drivers were caught speeding in just half an hour during a police speed check in Fleetwood.

The final line-up’s been announced for this summer’s Lytham Festival.

Police are appealing for help to identify two women after a series of thefts at a shop in Blackpool.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A man’s been charged after a disturbance at a jobs fair organised by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb.

Proposals to transform a former charity shop in the centre of Blackpool into a new café have been approved by planners.

The biggest ever Blackpool Jobs Fair ever saw thousands of people of all ages connect with prospective employers for up to 2,000 paid positions across the Fylde coast.

Lea Harrison has been appointed as the new managing director of Blackpool Transport Services.

A group of men who ran a ‘warehouse’ to deal their drugs around Blackpool and the Fylde coast have been jailed.

A celebration of growth, music and memory as the long-time Viva performer launches his most personal show to date.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two men from Fleetwood have been jailed for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

The Trust which runs Blackpool Victoria Hospital has apologised to patients after it was highlighted that it was performing worse than any other in the country for 12 hour waits in hospital.

More than 30 Fylde residents have moved into work thanks to a successful partnership which has helped create training and apprenticeship opportunities.

Pride in Place cash will be spent on repairs to allow the reopening of Blackpool’s Tramtown museum.

Sixteen residential roads in Blackpool are set to get resurfaced over the next eight weeks, as Blackpool Council starts a huge investment in additional road maintenance.

Blackpool’s Brian House Children’s Hospice has announced the cancellation of this year’s Bubble Rush event.

One of Blackpool’s most iconic venues is set for an exciting new chapter after plans were agreed to transfer its operation to Blackpool Council’s wholly owned tourism company.

Wyre Council is preparing to launch a new weekly food waste collection service for all households from the middle of April.

A Poulton-le-Fylde man has been handed a five year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

This summer's walkabout theatre show in Williamson Park in Lancaster has been exclusively announced on Central Radio.

Residents worried over plans to demolish homes in Blackpool’s Revoe area as part of a controversial regeneration plan have been offered help by a national community union group.

New padel courts have been proposed for Blackpool Sports Centre.

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after the rider of an e-bike suffered serious injuries in a collision in Fleetwood.

For 100 years, Stanley Park has played a central role in Blackpool, providing residents and visitors with a landmark green space that combines heritage, recreation and natural beauty. 

Blackpool’s £350m Talbot Gateway has taken another step towards full occupancy, with 300 workers relocating to the heart of the town centre.

Eight people have been charged as part of an investigation into the illegal supply of cocaine and ketamine in Blackpool.

Visitor attraction Blackpool Tramtown has been forced to close until further notice due to an issue with an electric cable.

Plans to demolish the houses on Henry Street as part of a major sports-themed regeneration project in Blackpool have taken another step forward, after a three year delay.

Blackpool Council needs to find £16m in savings during the next year as it prepares for the imminent budget for 2026/27.

The operators of Guy’s Thatched Hamlet have announced they have ceased trading after 46 years.

People are advised to avoid eating domestically produced eggs or egg-laying poultry from within 1km of an industrial site in Thornton.

A piano and theatre teacher from Poulton-le-Fylde who engaged in sexual communication with a 14-year-old girl has been jailed.

Volunteers from across Lancashire will gather on St Annes beach next month to plant thousands of donated Christmas trees as part of vital work to protect coastal communities from flooding.

Fleetwood Neighbourhood Policing Team have secured a closure order for an address in the town.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says he has secured a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss long-term investment and regeneration in South Shore – one of the most deprived areas in the country.

Blackpool is exploring the possibility of bidding for the UK City of Culture 2029 and UK Town of Culture 2028.

The countdown is on for the return of the Fylde Ice Festival to Lytham.

A new non-profit company has been set up with the aims of developing the former Fleetwood Pier site into a vibrant attraction and reviving the town itself.

Three Lancashire councils have been granted significantly more time to start dedicated household food waste collections – while two others have been unable to confirm whether they will meet the deadline for doing so.

The Leader of Blackpool Council said people who took part in an anti-immigration march at the weekend were not reflective of the many people who live, work and visit the town.

A family festival is being staged in Bispham aimed at bringing members of the community together.

Residents in Blackpool’s Revoe area are to have their say about plans to demolish hundreds of homes in a controversial £90m regeneration scheme.

Over the past week further demolition work has taken place in Blackpool as streets are being flattened to make way for the landmark £65 million Multiversity campus.

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

A Blackpool man has been found guilty of a string of sexual offences after being caught in a undercover operation three times.

A £9.3 million transformation looks set to be approved to completely modernise St Annes Swimming Pool and get Kirkham Baths reopened.

Works to remodel the junction of School Road and Common Edge Road are nearing completion.

Blackpool is set to get its first pet crematorium under new plans for Carleton cemetery.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says worried constituents have been contacting him with concerns over the future of the visitor centre which houses the town’s much-loved heritage trams.

Train operator Avanti West Coast has made a new bid to bring back an extra weekday London service for Blackpool after controversial cuts to the operation.

A Blackpool firm has been named as the North West’s second fastest-growing technology company, according to a new list – and among the top 100 in the UK.

Three men have been seriously injured in a collision between a taxi and a van on the A585 bypass near Windy Harbour in Poulton-le-Fylde.

A teenager has admitted making a hoax call which led to a large scale emergency response in Blackpool, involving police, HM Coastguard, the fire service and ambulance service.

The true scale of the forthcoming new multi-million pound Ministry of Defence (MOD) office building in Blackpool can now be seen as the building takes shape.

The future of Blackpool’s Tramtown attraction – home to the town’s world-famous heritage trams – is at serious risk, says a leading councillor.

The operators of Blackpool’s Holiday Inn ended the arrangements with Marco Pierre White’s restaurant brand because of “restrictions” with the deal, it has emerged.

Plans are being made to introduce a much improved yet sympathetic reseating of the top gallery tier at Grade II-listed Blackpool Grand Theatre.

Residents in Fylde are backing calls to end ongoing problems at Lytham Tip.

A substantial housing development of more than 100 homes is being proposed for a site in Blackpool.

With construction set to begin in the coming months, residents and businesses have their final opportunity to influence two projects that will reinvent how people experience St Annes town centre.

Councillors have vowed that play equipment destroyed in a senseless arson attack in a Fylde coast park will be rebuilt as quickly as possible.

Marco-Pierre White’s prestigiously-branded restaurant is pulling out of Blackpool.

A couple in Blackpool previously jailed for child cruelty allowed a man who turned out to be a convicted sex offender to babysit two of their children, a review has found.

A well-known Fleetwood GP is to chair a £20m community project to help regenerate the town.

DWP bosses have issued a statement after falling debris from Blackpool’s new £100m civil service office led to a dramatic evacuation.

People across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre are being encouraged to kick-start the new year with a boost to their wellbeing as its parkrun and junior parkrun events invite everyone to join in the fun this weekend, and to bring a friend.

Multi-million pound plans to build a seven-storey block of luxury apartments on Blackpool seafront are anticipated to finally see fruition in 2027.

Plans have been lodged to build 102 affordable homes on land bordering Poulton and Blackpool.

A free wellbeing and fun day on the Fylde coast is proving so popular it’s now become a much-anticipated annual event.

A new campaign has been launched to encourage residents to make a difference in Blackpool by consider fostering.

Plans to build a new large scale M&S food store at Norcross have been given the official green light after a final agreement was reached with developers.

Proposals to turn one of the Fylde coast’s most distinctive buildings into a unique house are still in the pipeline for 2026.

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.

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

A man has been arrested after a police drugs raid in Fleetwood.

Lancashire residents can have their names displayed on a North West Air Ambulance helicopter this Christmas as part of a pioneering scheme.

Police in Lancashire have received four new electric bikes to help with patrols across the community.

Blackpool Council’s Director of Adult Social Services has announced she will step down from the post at the end of this year.

The latest proposals for two rides to operate either side of Blackpool’s South Pier have been refused again.

Families across Fylde can look forward to another unforgettable weekend of wonder as the award-winning St Annes International Kite Festival returns.

A drunk-driver who crashed his car into a wall in Blackpool on Christmas Day, seriously injuring five passengers, has been jailed.

A criminal network supplying drugs across Lancashire and beyond have been jailed for a total of more than 100 years following a major operation by Lancashire’s Serious and Organised Crime team.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a pedestrian died following a collision with a bin lorry in Freckleton.

Fylde Council has selected its preferred operator for St Annes swimming pool.

Ambitious proposals to bring one of Poulton’s grandest buildings back into use have got the go ahead.

Blackpool Council is urging eligible residents to get protected this winter, with free flu vaccinations available, for those eligible, at walk-in clinics across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. 

Train operator Avanti West Coast has confirmed it is reducing its four daily weekday services to and from Blackpool to two a day from next week.

Cleveleys is to get a big new illuminated ‘welcome’ sign to greet people coming into the town centre.

A man has been jailed after a six year old girl was fatally struck by a flat-bed truck as she stepped off a bus in Bilsborrow.

Up to 150 people who face being alone on Christmas Day are to be treated to a festive roast dinner – thanks to a big-hearted family and kindly volunteers.

Fylde Council has taken a step towards the revival of Kirkham Baths, approving £150,000 of essential works to safeguard the building and prepare it for reinstatement.

A former French polishers and upholstery business in Carleton could become a new microbar if the scheme gets the go ahead.

Blackpool is doing its bit to support a charity which helps bereaved people – culminating in the iconic Tower turning orange next week.

The firm that operated a highly controversial fracking site in Fylde has been told that it cannot have another two years to restore the plot – after it emerged it had not made proper use of a previous extension.

Plans are in the pipeline to bring a disused former bank in Kirkham back into use.

A housing scheme which would have seen more than 200 homes built in Poulton has been refused by planners.

Lancashire Police are urging motorists not to drink or drug drive throughout the festive season.

Moor Park Primary School is considering ambitions plans to extend its SEND provision and has launched a consultation with a range of groups about the proposals.

Parkwood Leisure has been named as the new operator for Wyre’s leisure centres in Fleetwood, Garstang, Poulton and Thornton, replacing YMCA Fylde Coast from April.

Blackpool’s premium cinema scene is entering a thrilling new era with the launch of The Arc Cinema at the former Backlot Cinema site.

The first deliveries of new bins for Blackpool – including brown ones- have arrived as part of the shake-up of waste collections coming in next year.

Blackpool Council has formally confirmed its proposals to merge with Preston to form a new council.

Wyre Council is inviting residents, businesses, and visitors to share their views on exciting plans to rejuvenate Fleetwood’s waterfront.

A man from Merseyside has been jailed after he repeatedly stamped on a gull, killing the animal.

MP Lorraine Beavers has made a renewed call for the restoration of Fleetwood’s rail link.

Campaigners striving to keep the Fleetwood to Knott End ferry have welcomed reports that funding has now been secured until 2029.

International multi-award-winning superstar Michael Bublé is heading to the Lytham Festival in 2026.

An online plea has meant an elderly couple can enjoy one last visit to Blackpool’s famous Tower Ballroom where they used to go dancing.

The driver an £100k supercar which was engulfed in a fireball after crashing into a house in St Annes has been jailed.

Proposals to demolish two hotels and replace them with 51 modern apartments on Blackpool’s South Shore promenade have finally been approved by planners.

Protesters against a stinking landfill site say the waste deposits are getting steadily higher and have called on the site to be either suspended or closed for good.

A man who drove a van at a group of people in Poulton-le-Fylde, causing life changing injuries to one man, has been jailed.

Visitors to Fairhaven Lake can look forward to a new visitor centre after Fylde Council approved plans to transform the iconic Pagoda building.

Residents with FY postcodes can now enjoy unbeatable savings at some of Blackpool’s most iconic attractions, thanks to a new initiative from Blackpool Tourism Limited.

Two people have admitted to kidnapping a baby in Blackpool.

Works to create a new road from Common Edge Road to Blackpool Enterprise Zone on Amy Johnson Way are moving to the next phase.

Blackpool is preparing to launch a magnificent programme of Christmas entertainment – with a sprinkling of Strictly stardust.

Calls have been made for a world-class arena to be built on the Blackpool Central site, which has been earmarked for multi-million pound regeneration projects.

The critically acclaimed show Something About George, a powerful celebration of the life and music of George Harrison, arrives at the Blackpool Grand Theatre this Sunday for one night only – bringing audiences an uplifting, emotional and musically rich journey through the legacy of the “quiet Beatle”.

Blackpool’s ambitious £65m Multiversity scheme is pressing ahead as planned – but the council is looking to ensure there are no potential hold-ups to slow the project down.

Blackpool Council is looking into alternative models of residential care for children in the face of the “unsustainable” £21 million a year costs of private care provision.

Plans have been submitted to transform two empty units in Poulton’s Teanlowe Centre into a banking hub.

A man has been charged following a serious collision in Broughton last month.

Wyre Council has announced the successful completion of the revitalisation of the Young People’s Place on Windsor Road, Garstang.

Blackpool Council’s services for children are continuing to improve, a new Ofsted report says.

Proposals for a temporary ice rink at Lytham have hit a setback – despite being given the go ahead by local planners.

Blackpool Council is taking the next major step in delivering a first data centre as part of plans for Silicon Sands, a flagship digital infrastructure project at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

A popular festive food and craft event which is staged annually on the Fylde coast will not be taking place this year.

The multi-million pound regeneration of a much-loved Art Deco pub in Blackpool has seen a large part of the structure being demolished.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a child was left seriously injured following a road traffic collision in Blackpool.

Blackpool is getting a £6.85m upgrade to street lighting in a bid to cut carbon emissions and electricity costs. 

A bogus builder from Blackpool who conned his victims out of thousands of pounds has been jailed.

Police have charged three teenagers with attempted murder following an incident in Blackpool which left a man with serious stab injuries.

Some of Blackpool’s newest Illuminations have been rubbished by a leading councillor – prompting a rousing defence of them by the council leader.

Four more people have been arrested as detectives continue to investigate a wounding in Blackpool which left a man with serious stab injuries.

Police are appealing for information after a collision in the Broughton area left a man with serious injuries.

From April 2026, all councils in England are to introduce weekly food waste collections as part of the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, designed to make recycling more consistent and effective across the country.

Police have launched an investigation after a man was stabbed in Blackpool.

Fylde's employment support programmes are transforming lives at pace, with 118 residents achieving positive outcomes including 21 people securing jobs, 63 gaining qualifications, and 34 entering education or training between July and September.

A special ceremony will take place at the world-famous Blackpool Tower Circus to celebrate the unveiling of a Blue Heritage Plaque honouring one of Britain’s most beloved circus performers, Charlie Cairoli.

Potential buyers are in discussions over the sale of Blackpool’s iconic North Pier, one of the town’s top attractions.

Blackpool’s spectacular Christmas By The Sea village is returning for 2025.

People who regularly use buses run by Blackpool Transport are being urged to have their say on how the services can be improved.

Proposals for 38 new homes in Over Wyre have been submitted to planners as part of a major outline planning application.