Central Radio News

One of the top-rated GP surgeries in Burnley is set for a major overhaul that will effectively double it in size and allow it to see more patients, after receiving approval from the town’s planning committee.

A campaign to save a former church building on the Fylde coast from demolition has been boosted by national recognition of its heritage value.

Preston Bus says it does yet know whether it will take part in the £2 fare cap reintroduced by Andy Burnham.

A roofer who Padiham who misled, threatened, and took thousands of pounds from an elderly victim in Blackpool has been jailed.

Police say a body has been found in the search for a missing man from Bamber Bridge.

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

A man who carried out an armed robbery at a bookmaker’s shop in Burnley has been jailed for eight years.

The Chorley Flower Show returns next weekend.

Multi-award-winning musician KT Tunstall will join Manchester’s renowned Hallé Orchestra a free live concert to celebrate Blackpool's bid to become UK City of Culture 2029.

Thousands more children across Lancashire will be eligible for free school meals from September.

Families are invited to enjoy a day packed with free activities as National Play Day comes to Burnley next month.

Police have charged a man with drugs and weapons offences following a series of warrants in Preston earlier this week.

The names of the four new councils that will cover Lancashire from 2028 have been approved by the government.

Major proposals to extensively revamp Fleetwood’s Marine Hall – including the provision of a new café and outdoor seating – have been given the green light by Wyre planners.

On the fourth anniversary of Kiena Dawes' death, her mother, Angela Dawes, is calling on the public to support the campaign for Kiena's Law, urging decision-makers to strengthen the response to coercive and controlling behaviour before more lives are lost.

32 e-bikes and e-scooters have been seized in Blackpool, after a day of action by the local Neighbourhood Team and Roads Policing Team.

What starts as a round of golf will become a true test of endurance for three local lads, who are taking on one of the toughest challenges in the sport.

Planning approval has been secured for the £13.2 million Samlesbury Innovation Hub, giving Lancashire a new development opportunity to present to international investors and businesses at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow.

A Preston park has been left strewn with rubbish and building waste after travellers set up an unlawful encampment.

EG on the Move is now all set to expand its presence in its hometown, with plans for a large new retail destination getting the sign off from Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Andy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping as one of his first main policies as Prime Minister has struck a political chord with Blackpool.

International pop megastar Robbie Williams is heading to the Lytham Festival in 2027.

The establishment of a new council for South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire has been welcomed by the leaders of the three existing authorities that will be merged to form it – although one of them would rather have seen parts of his district moved out of Lancashire altogether.

The creation of a new council for Preston, Lancaster and Ribble Valley has been welcomed by the leaders of the three existing authorities that will merge to form it.

Following the recent fire at the former ex-catalogue shop on Lord Street in Fleetwood, Wyre Council has taken action against the owners of the building to try and make the building safe as soon as possible.

Some of the biggest names in international blues are heading to Colne this August as the award-winning Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival celebrates its landmark 35th anniversary.

Plans to create one of Blackpool’s most innovative food destinations are pressing ahead as 19 converted shipping containers were moved on site for the first time.

Three teenagers have been sentenced after a stabbing in Blackpool which left a man with serious injuries.    

The leader of Lancashire County Council says more time is needed to implement sweeping changes to local government – or else they will pose a risk to vulnerable residents.

The leader of Blackpool Council has expressed disappointment at today’s decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Lancashire – and fears the town will ‘lose its identity’.

A pervert who sexually abused two young boys over more than 20 years has been jailed.

A man has admitted harassment towards Blackpool South MP Chris Webb.

A teaching union claims that plans to force every Catholic school in the Diocese of Lancaster to become an academy will drain vital funds away from the classroom – and could see teacher numbers cut.

The operator of a chemicals facility in Thornton which is part of a pollution probe has vowed that its possible closure will have no bearing on the investigations.

Lancashire will be split up into four new council areas when the county’s 15 existing local authorities are abolished in less than two years’ time.

Work is underway to reinstate the windmill sails that have welcomed people to Blackpool for generations.

The skyline at Norcross is already starting to change as building work gets under way on huge new 21,500 sq ft Marks and Spencer Food Hall.

Attempts to increase Blackpool’s rail connection with London have stalled – despite coming at a time when the resort is enjoying massive multi-million investment.

There is “evidence” to support consideration being given to reopening the accident and emergency department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital 24 hours a day, the government has revealed.

An Accrington man has been jailed for controlling and coercive behaviour.  

A support worker from Leyland is taking on a huge challenge to swim from Dover to France.

Hazardous counterfeit toys have been being seized from shops across Blackpool.

New rules are to be introduced to crack down on the menacing use of e-scooters, powered bikes and pedal cycles in and around Chorley town centre.

A number of parks across Blackpool and the Fylde coast have earned a Green Flag Award.

Blackpool Council is set to deliver a programme of resurfacing works to St Annes Road, helping to protect and improve this key route for the long term.

More than 200 jobs in Thornton are hanging in the balance as the operators of the former ICI plant have revealed proposals to cease production.

Lancashire is gearing up for one of the most consequential weeks in its local government history as it awaits the outcome of an overhaul that will see the county’s 15 main councils abolished.

The government is being urged to make a regional outpost of one of its biggest departments the centrepiece of a long-planned transformation of Preston city centre.

A man who sexually assaulted a woman in Bacup has been jailed after he attempted to derail the investigation into his offending from inside prison. 

The man who led Blackpool Council as it became a unitary authority, oversaw the roll out of Sure Start centres, and set up the town’s first publicly run leisure centre, has died.

Students in Blackburn with Darwen have become the first in the country to complete a pioneering new digital and technology scholarship scheme.

A Blackpool off-road racer is staging a major cross-Atlantic campaign, trading the Fylde coast for the gruelling deserts of the Baja Peninsula.

A Blackpool charity which helps seriously ill children has sent out an SOS after heartless burglars broke in and caused massive damage.

It seems to have been a long time coming, but the first sign of construction of Blackpool’s £65m Multiversity campus has finally appeared.

The government has rejected criticism of its response to calls for support to secure the future of Preston’s Guild Hall.

Everybody on the Fylde coast is being encouraged to back a bid for Blackpool to be named the UK City of Culture 2029.

Police are appealing for information and footage after two people died following a collision earlier today in Wrightington.

A man has been jailed after killing a grandfather on a pedestrian crossing in Cleveleys.

Work is now under way on site at Haslingden Old Road, marking a major step forward in reopening the route following the major landslip that forced its closure.

A new padel facility is set to open at Stanley Park offering a new sports option for residents and generating funds to be reinvested in the park.

An immersive art installation that allows visitors to walk through a psychedelic world of art and colour is coming to Accrington later this month.

A wholesale review of Preston City Council’s waste collection service is under way in an attempt to rectify problems that emerged following a recent overhaul, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has learned.

The government has been accused of giving a lukewarm response to lobbying efforts to secure support for the replacement or refurbishment of Preston’s Guild Hall.

The extra costs of improvement work needed on a new £18.5m access road after lorries struggled to turn onto it will not be borne by Blackpool Council or council tax payers.

The Victorian-era conservatory in Corporation Park that has been closed to the public for the past 10 years could finally be reopened, under one of three possible futures guises.

Blackpool Council is looking to take steps in case it will need Compulsory Purchase Orders to get an ambitious but controversial regeneration project off the ground.

The Reform UK group that runs Lancashire County Council says Nigel Farage has done “the right thing” by quitting as an MP to trigger a parliamentary by-election.

A long-awaited upgrade of one of the main routes linking South Ribble and Preston will not be scrapped to help pay for increased defence spending – but it will be another year yet before work on the scheme begins.

The Blackpool South MP says he is hopeful that opportunities can arrive in the future to revive the town’s airport – but that moment isn’t ready yet.

A public inquiry is to be staged tomorrow to decide on Blackpool Pier Company’s appeal against Blackpool Council’s decision to reject plans for new rides on South Pier.

Lancashire Police joined with other agencies as part of a crackdown on organised immigration crime.

The bodies of two Preston men reported missing more than a week ago have been found in a crashed car.

There's just one year to go until the world's top cyclists race through Lancashire and our county is showcased to a global audience.

Two men have been jailed after a teenager was threatened with an imitation firearm and assaulted in Brierfield. 

Two men who burst their way into a house in Blackpool and robbed the householder of his mobile phone, have been jailed. 

Blackpool Victoria Hospital has been granted planning permission to permanently retain a prefab building which was originally used for the Covid pandemic but has continued to be used.

Plans to close down a number of major roads near Burnley FC’s stadium on match days have been slammed by the town’s MP.

Ziggy played guitar…and now you can see it up close at Blackpool’s Showtown museum.

Residents impacted by unwanted odour in their homes from a Fleetwood landfill site are urged to continue to record incidents while an abatement notice is in place.

A multi-agency action plan launched in December to tackle retail crime and anti-social behaviour in Preston City Centre is already delivering positive results, six months on.

A Preston retailer who sold a knife to a 15-year-old during test purchasing has been fined £10,000.

North Pier, Blackpool's oldest and most iconic pier, has entered a new chapter, with a £10million investment programme planned.

Five, along with Lucy Spraggan and The Feeling have been revealed as the musical acts performing at this year’s Blackpool Illuminations Switch‑On.

Controversial plans to build 350 homes on the former Camelot Theme Park site in Chorley have been given the go-ahead – 12 years after the first bid was made to redevelop the derelict site.

Some Preston households may see their bin collection day changed for a second time since the spring in order to resolve problems that have arisen following a major shake-up of the city’s waste service.

The Blackpool South MP says the government has pledged to fund the first steps in building a world-class arena in the resort.

Owners of a Blackpool hotel where a child died after suffering an electric shock in the lobby have been fined £120,000 over health and safety offences.

A man who killed a teenage girl while driving at more than 110mph on the M65 has been jailed.

An update on plans to create a pet crematorium at Carleton is to be given by Blackpool Council after a question was asked about it at a public meeting.

The multi-million pound improvement works planned for Friargate South, Cheapside/Market Place and Orchard Street in Preston are due to get underway next week.

A man was arrested after a car was driven through road closures put in place for the annual Lytham Club Day parade.

Police are appealing for information and footage after a collision in Kirkham in which a man in his 80s died.

A 33 year-old woman who died following a tragic incident at a level crossing in Lancashire has been named as her family pay tribute to their much loved daughter, sister, partner and devoted mum.

Lancashire Police have issued a reminder to partygoers heading to Lytham Festival next week to have fun but stay safe.

A bike rider who was seriously injured after coming off his bike in Burnley has died.

A gang responsible for the supply of millions of pounds of drugs to the streets of Lancashire and beyond have been jailed for a total of more than 40 years.

The National Festival of Making is set to return to Blackburn next weekend with a blockbuster line-up – including a brand-new Film Festival.

A spectacular drone show will illuminate the skies above Stanley Park this October as part of a special anniversary weekend celebrating the park's centenary year.

The cost of taking a taxi in South Ribble could be set to increase after drivers asked for permission to put up fares.

Blackpool Council has released a statement clarifying its involvement with the tragic Preston Davey case.

Funding has been obtained for a long-proposed leisure development that will see a water sports lake, dry ski slope and mountain bike track created on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston.

Preston City Council has moved a step closer to striking a deal that will see local authority-owned social housing return to the area after an absence of more than two decades.

A Blackburn man who videoed himself sexually assaulting a young girl and had hundreds of indecent images of other children on a laptop and phone, has been jailed for 14 years. 

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a cyclist suffered serious injuries in Burnley.

An investigation has been launched after a train crashed into a car at a level crossing in Hoghton, killing the driver.

Councillors in Fylde have agreed that controversial plans to build nearly 50 new homes in the village of Weeton should be approved.

Plans to bring new homes to the former Woodlands site in Chorley have been given the green light.

A Poulton-le-Fylde man who had part of his leg removed during cancer treatment has walked 10million steps in a year – representing a million steps for each year he’s been cancer-free – to raise funds for charity.

Proposals for a north of England bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been welcomed in Blackpool and Lancashire.

Fans of Ken Dodd know the comedian famously came from Liverpool – and Knott Ash in particular – but he is also forever linked with Blackpool.

A Central Lancashire MP says Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation has created a “huge opportunity” for the government to be more bold in dealing with the daily challenges faced by households across the country.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has called on Government to look again at the reclassification of Ketamine to a Class A drug.

Lancashire firefighters will be at the heart of a new service to tackle wildfires across the whole of England.

A special parkrun event will celebrate the centenary of Stanley Park – and it will include historic medals for participants.

We should continue to make the case for a new road bridge over the River Ribble near Preston, says the Ribble Valley MP.

The Chair of the Bar Council taught children how to disagree agreeably as she returned to her former primary school in Chorley.

More than a hundred cannabis plants have been seized and a man has been arrested after a cannabis farm was discovered in South Ribble.

A Nelson firm who sold a knife to a 16-year-old during a test purchasing sting has been ordered to pay more than £27,000.

Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards has issued an urgent food safety warning after a Preston restaurant and its director have been issued a £12,000 penalty for mis-selling dairy free burgers twice.

Preston’s iconic telephone boxes are set for a new lease of life following the approval of planning and other associated consents to repurpose the structures to become an eye-catching digital art installation in the heart of Preston’s cultural Harris Quarter.

Wyre Council is delighted to announce the completion of a major refurbishment at Thornton Health and Fitness Centre, following an investment of more than £230,000 to transform the gym facilities.

East Lancashire MPs have responded to Andy Burnham’s by-election win in Makerfield.

A comprehensive Health and Community Impact Report into odour emissions from the Jameson Road landfill site in Fleetwood has highlighted the ongoing impact on residents’ health and wellbeing.

A man has been jailed for 13 years for sexually assaulting two children.  

A huge regeneration project aimed at improving housing in Blackpool’s Revoe area took a major step forward today – but many residents are not welcoming it.

Four new ‘communication hubs’ are set to be rolled out in and around Preston city centre.

A Thornton councillor is calling for a plot of open land to be used as a designated community recreation area after year of campaigning.

A new supported living scheme has opened in Preston, which will provide long-term affordable accommodation for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

A former village butcher has been jailed for indecently assaulting two girls more than 50 years ago.

A total of 210 taxis have been stopped and inspected as part of large-scale safety operations across Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, bringing together police and partners to protect the public.

Wyre Council has worked in partnership with Blackpool Transport to introduce a temporary shuttle service in Fleetwood, ensuring continued access to the town centre and market following disruption to tram services on Lord Street. 

A man has been jailed for raping a child and filming her whilst doing so.

Blackpool should apply for city status and take advantage of the benefits, says a leading local businessman.

A restaurant owner in Blackpool has vowed to appeal over a decision to revoke his premises licence over illegal worker claims.

A government planning inspector has been told that building 350 homes on the former Camelot Theme Park site in Chorley would bring “a great deal of public good with precious little harm”.

A Lancashire council says it tried to persuade government officials not to put it into special measures after the authority rejected two major planning applications and had the decisions overturned on appeal.

A man has today been found guilty of murdering and sexually abusing a baby boy he was in the process of adopting. 

The Wyre Business Awards are back for 2026, and entries are now officially open for the borough’s biggest celebration of local business success. 

Residents are being invited to have their say on plans to expand moving traffic enforcement at key locations across Lancashire.

“Janet Murgatroyd, my only child, was brutally murdered 30 years ago. The perpetrator is still at large; someone knows who this man is.''

Preston City Council has given an update on its current position on the future of the Guild Hall.

A man has been charged after a teenage girl was stabbed in the neck in Brierfield.

A number of local people from across Preston have been recognised in King Charles’ Birthday Honours List.

A number of local people from across Blackpool and the Fylde coast have been recognised in King Charles’ Birthday Honours List.

A 70-year-old man from Accrington man has been given a life sentence for raping and sexually assaulting two vulnerable women. 

A balloon artist from Kirkham has helped create what is believed to be one of the World's largest foil balloon World Cup trophies after being challenged to design the structure from scratch for an international training event.

The Colne Gala returns next weekend.

Vandals have forced a public toilet at Blackpool’s Stanley Park to close after mindlessly trashing the facilities.

Blackpool Council has vowed to complete a new housing development of 51 homes in Bispham despite being left £9.5m in debt after the developer went into administration.

The first council house tenants in Preston for more than two decades could be moving into their new homes by the start of next year, the city’s leader has said.

A £40,000 grant is to be made available by Wyre Council to help set up a training facility at Thornton to tackle a worrying skills gap in the area.

Utility firms and contractors responsible for over-running, disruptive work on roads should be charged £2,500 a day using new powers, say Pendle councillors.

A bid to build a 95-home estate in the Preston countryside, which had twice been rejected by councillors, has now also been thrown out by a government planning inspector.

A Leyland man has been ordered to pay compensation after pleading guilty to an animal cruelty offence that left a pet cat with serious injuries.

One of the largest parks in Lancashire has been given the green light for a major £250,000 facelift that will benefit the half a million people who visit it every year.

Network Rail is objecting to plans to build a new housing estate near a level crossing.

Twenty-two nuisance vehicles, including illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, have been seized in Preston as part of a day of action targeting anti-social behaviour.

A stark warning of the potential dangers of illegal squishy, sensory toys has been issued by  Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards after 200 toys were removed from sale in a fortnight.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man was seriously injured in a collision near Colne over the weekend.

A shop owner has been jailed after Trading Standards officers uncovered an illegal tobacco and vape operation in St Annes.

Plans are being drawn up to ensure blood tests continue to be processed for patients across East Lancashire after 20 days of strike action were announced at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals.

Colne is preparing to welcome an extraordinary line-up of world-class cycling talent this month as the Fort Vale Colne Grand Prix returns next week.

Fylde Council is bringing its food waste team directly to communities across the borough this summer, ahead of the service launching in the autumn.

Proposals to reinstate and revitalise the largest park in Cleveleys as an active, nature-rich and multi-generational space are now being shared with the community for feedback. 

The 140-year-old building that used to house the White Bull Hotel in Blackburn town centre is set to become a development of 24 single-bed flats.

A Blackpool councillor has called for urgent answers after safety concerns over the resort’s famous trams were raised by a transport watchdog.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an elderly woman was found dead at an address in Thornton Cleveleys.

Anti-fracking campaigners have reacted with delight after the firm that operated a controversial drilling site in Fylde was given six months to restore it to the farmland that it used to be.

Months of delays and disruption for Blackburn motorists from a major road upgrade will start in just a few weeks’ time.

Wyre Council is moving into the next phase of improvements at Marine Hall in Fleetwood, with plans to invest £1.3 million to bring a key part of the venue back into use.

A man from Nelson has been jailed after drugs were found at his home during two raids by police. 

Two men who carried out knife point raids at four shops in Preston and Chorley, have both been jailed for 11 years.

Community organisations across Wyre could soon benefit from a £1 million funding programme designed to transform local spaces and create lasting impact for residents, following approval by Wyre Council’s Cabinet.

Ambitious proposals to create new apartments in one of Blackpool’s most iconic buildings have been give the green light by planners.

Proposals for two rides to be sited at Blackpool’s South Pier are set for a public inquiry hearing after the scheme was rejected on two occasions by resort planners.

It is a name that has endured for almost two centuries – even when changed circumstances meant it no longer made much sense.

Residents in the Revoe area of Blackpool have three more drop-in sessions planned to discuss a controversial regeneration scheme which includes demolition of their homes.

The Utilita Energy Hub Blackburn has been formally recognised for its exceptional contribution to the local community, receiving a Certificate of Recognition as part of Volunteers’ Week 2026.

A 13-year-old and 15-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire which destroyed the former M&S store in Fleetwood on Wednesday night.

Residents in Poulton-le-Fylde are benefiting from improved road conditions following the completion of a full resurfacing scheme on Curzon Road.

The football pitches on Preston’s Moor Park are getting an upgrade – thanks to silt removed from the lake on the site.

Three towering blocks of residential flats that have been a feature of Blackburn’s skyline for the past 60 years are in line for some major safety upgrades.

A man in his 60s has died following a collision between a bicycle and a car in Chorley.

Major building works are finally underway to repair and restore the missing ‘heartbeat’ of Oswaldtwistle, three years after its primary cultural venue was forced to shut its doors.

Residents at risk of developing cavities and the other painful consequences of poor dental hygiene may receive ‘targeted’ support, after Blackburn with Darwen Council approved fresh funding for a successful service.

The boss of a long-established Indian restaurant in Blackpool says tough rules on immigrants being allowed to work are forcing decent eateries to close.

National concern about the rising number of young people who are NEET – Not in Employment, Education or Training – are being shared in Blackpool.

A firm that supplies building security services to Lancashire County Council claims the local authority is repeatedly late paying its bills – and that some invoices have been outstanding for more than two years.

A veteran Blackpool councillor is believed to be the longest serving elected member currently serving on a council in the UK.

Hundreds of suspected fake perfume bottles and scores of suspected illicit Apple and Samsung products have been uncovered by Trading Standards at a car boot sale in Wyre.

Volunteers from across Blackburn with Darwen will be celebrated this week with a special event to recognise their contributions to our communities.

Work to expand a primary school in suburban Preston has been completed – and the headteacher hopes the new facilities will “inspire” her pupils.

Fylde is set to take centre stage in celebrating the very best green spaces across England.

The family of a little girl who died after a collision between two cars in the Ribble Valley have paid a heartbreaking tribute to her.

Blackpool’s Neighbourhood Policing Team and British Transport Police’ County Lines Task Force have undertaken a joint day of action, with the aim of targeting drug supply in the town. 

Police have issued a warning that any disorder or crime committed during a protest march in Blackpool this weekend will not be tolerated.

The eleven award-winning green spaces across Hyndburn borough may soon reach a round dozen, following a major cash injection from the council.

The Clarets may have had a rough year in, and now out of, the Premier League, but relegation is not the only change coming for Burnley FC fans.

Eight stretches of road in Blackburn and Darwen are to be resurfaced over the next five weeks.

Much-loved author and poet Michael Rosen is set to headline Blackburn with Darwen’s Children’s and Young People’s Literature Festival in June.