Central Radio News

Two men have been sentenced to almost 10 years in prison after being found guilty of possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply, in Nelson.

Lancashire will play a key role in next year's Tour de France – including all five King of the Mountains climbs taking place in the county.

A man has today been found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter at her student accommodation in Preston.

Blackpool has been shortlisted as one of the final four places to be named UK City of Culture 2029.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a man was left with serious injuries following a road traffic collision in Colne.

Blackpool’s warm welcome for Hungarian refugees has been commemorated with a special wreath-laying ceremony.

A mill in Bacup which has been derelict for over 20 years could be bought out by the council.

A new announcement about Blackpool’s Metropole Hotel and the plans for its future is expected to be made soon, operators Britannia have intimated.

Lancashire County Council has made a legal move to ensure the door remains open for it to formally challenge a controversial local authority shake-up – after ministers refused to answer a key question about the process.

Police in Lancashire are stepping up efforts to tackle violence against women and girls with the launch of a new operation aimed at kicking out misogyny and sexual offending in football.

A leading disability campaigner from East Lancashire has taken his latest fight for improved accessibility straight to Westminster after being welcomed to Parliament and given a behind-the-scenes tour of 10 Downing Street.

A Blackpool councillor says he is demanding answers from the Government over concerns of an apparent lack of prosecutions of vandalism on children’s playgrounds.

A car driver who ran over a man in Accrington town centre has been sentenced to life imprisonment. 

A contractor is being sought for a £1.3m scheme to improve the paths leading up to Darwen’s much-loved Jubilee Tower.

A Blackpool man has outlined ambitious proposals to create a wide-ranging community hub in the town – and make use of the resort’s iconic former Abingdon Street Post Office.

A major employment development on the site of a former abattoir has been given the green light paving the way for dozens of new industrial and warehouse units on a long-vacant brownfield site in Great Harwood.

Blackpool Council is still negotiating with the owner of a single property in a row of terraced houses being demolished to make way for two major sports projects.

A row has broken out over the condition of Lancashire’s roads after the politician in charge of them claimed they were now in a “fantastic state” – while opposition councillors accused the authority of lowering its own standards.

Work is finally underway to build a brand new hotel and bar on South Shore promenade following the demolition of the original Art Deco Yates Bar building.

A car driver has today been convicted of murder after running over a man in Accrington town centre. 

A new innovative food destination for Blackpool is to be launched next month in the form of a vibrant Christmas Market.

A major step forward in Blackpool’s most ambitious development proposals – the £300 million Blackpool Central project – looks set to finally be revealed in the New Year.

Three Preston car parks will be free to use on a total of 22 days in the run-up to Christmas as part of a push to encourage more people to visit the city centre.

A Burnley man has been jailed for seven years after sexually assaulting a woman in a pub in Cheshire.

Last week’s cancelled World Fireworks Championship event won’t be rescheduled, say Blackpool Council.

A Fleetwood councillor is trying to stage a last-ditch bid to save a much-used children’s play area and multi use games area in Fleetwood.

A Blackpool resident raised concerns at a council meeting about the three-weekly bin collection and food caddies – and said it was leading to an increase in rats around people’s homes – including his own.

Preston City Council is once again offering additional financial support to help vulnerable pensioners with the rising cost of living, providing eligible households with a one-off payment of £100 towards food and fuel costs.

Preston residents are being urged to double check their bin collection days ahead of changes being introduced next week.

Preston’s City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team have secured a closure order at a problem address.

Two people have been given suspended prison sentences after admitting serious breaches of fire safety regulations at a nightclub in Burnley.

Police have charged 33 people and seized significant quantities of drugs, cash and weapons as part of a major operation in Blackpool. 

A man has today been jailed for being responsible for his brother’s death in Rossendale in 2024.

Pendle is set to receive £220,000 through the Government's Good Food Neighbourhoods programme, helping improve access to healthy, affordable food for local residents.

A council debate raised questions about the actual attendance figure for the 2026 Blackpool Illuminations switch-on event amid unfavourable comparisons with figures for Lytham Festival.

Blackpool councillors have unanimously refused proposals to open a controversial Parrot Experience attraction after agreeing that it would be “detrimental” to the resort.

A new borough-wide debt and benefits advice service will be created as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s £3.7m plan to help residents struggling with the cost of living crisis.

A Blackpool councillor has called for a long-term strategy to help bring about the return of international flights to the town’s airport.

A decision is set to be made on controversial proposals to open a ‘Parrot Experience’ in Blackpool town centre which have attracted an 16,811-name petition and 18 objection notices.

Bus passengers across Ribble Valley, Burnley and Pendle are set to benefit from new routes, more frequent services and better connections across the network.

Residents, businesses and stakeholders are being invited to have their say on the future of Hillhouse Enterprise Zone as Wyre Council launches a public consultation on the draft review of the site's masterplan.

Highways bosses are being urged to extend the safety barrier on a busy bridge that forms part of the main route between Preston and Southport – after the side of the structure was struck three times in the space of six weeks.

The Preston city centre site where the Odeon cinema and Tokyo Jo’s nightclub once stood is to return to being a car park – but with the hope that housing will eventually be built there.

Major refurbishment work at Rawtenstall Library is continuing, with the building now expected to reopen in early 2027.

Essential safety works to reduce the risk of rockfall are set to take place on the A681 Bacup Road at The Glen, between Bacup and Stacksteads, starting tomorrow.

A Preston man who caused significant injuries to a young toddler has been jailed.

The star of Blackpool Tower’s famous circus has received a British Empire Medal after being recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours earlier this year.

534 knives have been disposed of in the knife bin based at Waterfoot Police Station in the past three months.

Local people are being invited to share their views on how the vision and opportunities behind Multiversity are communicated as the landmark £65 million development continues to take shape in the heart of Blackpool town centre.

A list of projects to deliver improvements to our neighbourhoods and community assets has been approved utilising £1.5 million Pride in Place Capital funding for Preston.

Around 3,500 Preston households are to have their bin collection days changed – some for the second time in six months.

Residents across East Lancashire are set to benefit from £2.1m of canal towpath improvements that will create safer, more accessible links between Whitebirk, Rishton and Accrington.

Proposals for new train services between London and Blackpool have been rejected by the Office of Rail and Road.

Preston’s first pump track, a new playground, pavilion and multi-use games area at Waverley Park are all on track to open this autumn.

A man has been issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order after being caught hare coursing in West Lancashire and Chorley.

A total of 254 taxis have been stopped and inspected as part of large-scale safety operations across Preston, Chorley and Blackpool.

Work on a project that will transform one of the busiest routes between South Ribble and Preston is set to begin in a matter of weeks.

Young people in Rossendale are set to get further support with employment, training and wellbeing with the launch of a new Department for Work and Pensions Youth Hub.

Preston's new Cottam Parkway railway station is set to move into its next phase after Lancashire County Council's Cabinet gave the green light for work to progress.

Burnley residents will have new opportunities to discover, celebrate and get involved in the town’s heritage following the official launch of High 5 for Heritage. 

Police have seized a number of illegal e-bikes, e-scooters and off-road bikes from the streets of Preston as part of ongoing efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Lancashire County Council could launch legal proceedings against the government after being left in the dark about the nature of an unexpected pause in plans for a radical local authority shake-up.

Stanley Park has marked its 100th anniversary with a special two-day celebration bringing together generations of Blackpool residents, visitors, volunteers, community groups and the people who help care for the much-loved park.

A man from Garstang has been given a 22-year sentence after abusing and raping a woman.

A man has been found guilty of killing his brother with a punch at a social club in Rossendale.

Residents and motorists are being advised of planned highways improvements on Whalley Old Road – a busy route in Blackburn.

Blackpool is set to receive a share of £10m to improve access to healthy and affordable food for people in need.

A Central Lancashire hotel that has been used as accommodation for asylum seekers for almost five years will be vacated by the end of December.

A major programme of improvements to Rawtenstall town centre is set to get underway as part of the Levelling Up East Lancashire programme.

A new facility will open in Preston next week to support rough sleepers.

Preston’s city centre will be celebrating Christmas in style this year, with a packed programme of festive experiences that will bring festive magic to the city’s cultural Harris Quarter.

Three Blackburn playgrounds are set for major upgrades after Blackburn with Darwen Council secured £270,000 from a government fund aimed at improving play facilities in some of England’s most deprived communities.

A man from Accrington has been sentenced after he engaged in sexual conversation online with a girl he believed was 13.   

The transformation of the Harris museum, art gallery and library in Preston has been caught on a series of short films.

Everyone is invited to Stanley Park this weekend for the main public celebration of the park's 100th birthday.

A pensioner old man has been jailed after sexually assaulting a young woman in the early 1990s.

The much-anticipated renovation of a major sports pitch in Accrington has been kicked into the long grass once again, it was revealed at a meeting of Hyndburn Council.

An agreement has been reached between Lancashire County Council, Wyre Council and the operator of the Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry service to provide additional funding.

Preston City Council wants to be one of the authorities that takes over the running of support services for refugees living in Lancashire.

Preston North End have confirmed Graham Alexander as their new manager.

Investigations have failed to reveal the cause of two sinkholes that opened up during a facelift of part of Preston city centre.

Blackpool’s original 1920s cinema The Regent is playing host to an international festival of short films which is normally staged in Manchester.

A building that has stood vacant on a busy street on the edge of Preston city centre for almost two decades is finally set to be brought back to life.

Thousands of Fylde households are receiving their brand-new food waste caddies from this week.

Stalled plans to build a new multi-million pound magistrates court in Blackpool are progressing with a new developer for the major project announced.

Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent has called on the Government to make an urgent intervention over historic contamination in parts of Thornton by cancer-causing chemical PFOA.

Preston City Council has launched a new Community Health Grant Scheme to support local organisations delivering projects that help improve health outcomes for residents across the city.

A Blackpool woman fears being left broke if her home is sold to the council and demolished as part of a controversial regeneration scheme.

A vital service in Blackpool offering support for people recovering from addictions has staged a special event to highlight the impact it has been having.

A new cycle hub has been unveiled at Preston Station which aims to make riding around the city easier, safer and more inclusive. 

A teacher at a Preston secondary school says the high standards for which it has been recognised risk being unravelled by plans to turn it into an academy – and that staff are fighting “to save our school community as we know it”.

An innovative theatre in Blackpool which had to leave its premises last year is making a splash with its new base.

Blackpool’s public light-art festival, Lightpool Festival returns this October half term - and celebrates its ten-year anniversary.

Residents across Lancashire are being invited to have their say on a plan about making sure the county has enough of the materials, such as sand, gravel and stone to build homes, roads and other things, in the future.

A man has been given a nine-year sentence for sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a young girl.

There’s a new name on the Blackpool street map, and it leads to a whole lot of Happiness.

There’s less than two weeks to go until Stanley Park marks its 100th anniversary, with a spectacular day of family fun, entertainment and a dazzling drone show.

A former magistrate has hit out at how the long-term closure of a court building in Central Lancashire has been handled.

Burnley Council has scrapped plans to spend £436,000 building padel courts at Towneley Park, just six months after they were announced.

The countdown is on for Encounter Festival, as the full programme is unveiled for a packed day of free outdoor performances, interactive installations, family activities and a spectacular Torchlight Procession in the centre of Preston.

A teenager from Haslingden has been sentenced after driving in excess of 150mph on the M65 earlier this year.

Essential repairs will be carried out on the paddling pool at St Annes after funding was agreed by Fylde Council.

Burnley has been awarded £20 million through the Government’s Pride in Place programme to support investment in the town over the next decade – and the first funding awards have now been approved.

An Accrington man has been jailed for raping a young woman. 

Burnley Council still needs to find almost £1.7 million of savings over the next three years despite having already delivered £29.5 million of cuts and efficiencies since 2010, new financial planning documents reveal.

Blackpool Transport is on the lookout for a suitable location from which to temporarily display the town’s iconic and much-loved heritage fleet.

A lush meadow which has been part of people’s childhood memories in the Kirkham and Wesham area for generations desperately needs saving from a massive housing scheme, say campaigners.

Police are appealing for witnesses, CCTV and doorbell footage following a burglary in Chorley in which more than £20,000 worth of bikes were stolen.

A damning CQC report on Blackpool’s Adult Social care last year has ended up being a positive wake-up call which has improved services, an annual report concludes.

A man has been jailed after pleading guilty to possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply, after being caught with 1kg of cocaine in his car in Nelson.

Lytham Assembly Rooms, home to Lytham Library, is set to remain in the hands of the community that has cared for it for decades, after Fylde Council’s agreed to transfer the freehold of the historic building to Lytham Town Trust.

Contractors working with Blackpool Council have joined forces to create a new community space in South Shore, aiming to upskill residents and help create a more resilient community.

An initiative to offer free bulky waste collections to Blackburn with Darwen’s 150,000 residents has become the ‘victim of its own success’, a council report has admitted.

A government decision to approve a controversial cabling scheme to connect a pair of offshore windfarms near Fylde to a power station in South Ribble will leave the local landscape it cuts through changed forever, campaigners against the plans have warned.

Cheering crowds of excited children waved union flags as the Duke of Edinburgh paid a special visit to Blackpool’s Stanley Park to help celebrate its centenary year.

Plans to install a series of new ‘communication hubs’ in Preston city centre have been refused for a second time.

A vehicle ‘chop shop’ and a significant quantity of parts have been found after a police discovery in Accrington.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a serious road traffic collision in Freckleton.

A trader from Blackburn has been ordered to pay customers £43,700 in compensation after leaving customers across the North West 'significantly out of pocket' following unnecessary or poor-quality work.

The hunt is on for a new person to oversee the delivery of a huge £20m Government funding pot earmarked for Accrington over the next decade, following the resignation of the town’s neighbourhood board chair.

A Preston woman who suffered serious injuries from jumping out of her bedroom window when her abusive ex-partner set her home ablaze is fronting a new trauma awareness campaign.

The Duke of Edinburgh is set to visit Blackpool’s award-winning Stanley Park tomorrow as the Grade II-listed park celebrates its centenary year.

Leisure operators are being invited to help transform one of Fylde most loved destinations, as Fylde Council opens its formal tender for a padel and tennis concession at Fairhaven Lake and Gardens.

A man has been jailed for carrying out a robbery at a Blackburn bookies. 

The parents of a little girl with a serious degenerative illness are in a battle to try and slow down its progression in any way they can.

Blackpool Council insists it has not ruled out the prospect of a top arena for the town, despite the proposals not being explicitly included in an update on its ambitious Blackpool Central proposals.

Bus passengers in Lancashire will be able to enjoy a discounted fare for longer than previously planned after the date it was due to end was pushed back until after Christmas.

A joint multi-agency operation has led to multiple arrests, vehicle seizures and proactive activity aimed at disrupting County Lines drug dealing in Preston.

New laws regulating e-bikes and e-scooters could be introduced by the Government amid growing concerns over their misuse, with Lancashire among the most active areas in the country for enforcement action.

The owners of a Cleveleys pub which has been closed for more than three years have confirmed it is to reopen.

The future of a large and prominent hotel on Blackpool seafront remains uncertain after the operators went into liquidation.

A family have paid a loving and emotional tribute to an ‘inseparable couple’ who were found deceased at a house in Hardman Street, Blackburn.

Part of the former Fleetwood Hospital building could be used for student accommodation in the face of a shortage of suitable provision in the area.

A long-planned new railway station for suburban Preston is finally set to get off the drawing board after the cash needed to build it was secured.

Lancashire Police has launched Fake or Real? Know the Deal, a campaign designed to help young people and families recognise and respond to the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence generated deepfakes.

Blackpool Council is being recommended to continue with a procurement exercise to find a developer for the Blackpool Central site.

Demolition work has been carried out on an unsafe fire-damaged play ship in Anchorsholme Park which was targeted by arsonists last December.

There are calls for a wholesale rethink of plans to abolish and replace all of Lancashire’s councils after ministers announced the process had been paused while checks are carried out to ensure it is lawful.

Plans to abolish Lancashire’s 15 councils and replace them with four new authorities have been put on hold by the Government, pending a future review.

Vehicles are to be driven out of several Preston city centre shopping streets at the busiest times of the day.

Blackburn with Darwen’s council leader has called for East Lancashire politicians to unite ahead of local government reorganisation, amid continuing tensions with Burnley over the creation of the new Pennine Lancashire authority.

Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone continues to see significant progress, with major infrastructure projects completed, new development land released and further investment planned to support business growth and create new jobs across the Fylde coast.

Dog owners who fail to clean up after their pets could face a £250 fixed penalty notice under new measures approved by Wyre Council.

A woman has been found dead in a pond at Lowther Gardens in Lytham.

Police have launched a murder investigation after two people were found dead inside a house in Blackburn.

Blackpool’s RNLI sent a powerful message to planners that proposed rock groynes could directly lead to lives being lost in the sea.

A Blackpool mental health charity has reopened its South Shore hub almost a year after massive storm damage left it uninhabitable.

A Fleetwood man has been jailed for assaulting a woman and engaging in controlling behaviour towards her. 

The latest phase of improvements to the children's playground at Memorial Park in Fleetwood have been unveiled.

One of East Lancashire’s most recognisable landmarks could be set for a major overhaul after Burnley Council submitted plans to improve access to the Singing Ringing Tree ahead of the borough’s Year of Culture celebrations in 2027.

Lancashire County Council has indicated it could be willing to pay more to keep the Fleetwood to Knott End ferry in operation – but first wants convincing that an increased subsidy for the service makes sense for the public purse.

The County Council will withdraw from its role as the coordinating authority for refugee resettlement schemes across Lancashire.

Controversial plans to build almost 80 new affordable homes in the Over Wyre village of Stalmine have been given the green light by Wyre Council.

Specialist CCTV cameras are to be installed at Lancashire County Council’s household waste recycling centres to ensure businesses are not also using the facilities to dump their rubbish.

Parents and carers can now apply online for children who are either starting primary school or moving to secondary school in September 2027.

Lancashire Police is to launch the use of Live Facial Recognition, helping prevent and detect crime, while protecting the most vulnerable in our county.

Thousands more children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) could benefit from improved support closer to home if proposals to invest a further £23 million in specialist and inclusive education provision get the green light.

Planners at Wyre will meet this week to make a decision on on a controversial application to build 79 new affordable homes in the Over Wyre village of Stalmine.

Community groups, organisations, businesses and local partners are being invited to share ideas for projects that could create a meaningful and lasting legacy for Preston Guild 2032.

Police are appealing for information and footage following a serious collision in Ribbleton.

Blackpool is preparing for one of the most magical nights in its calendar when, for one night only, the six miles of Promenade will be closed to give cyclists a sneak preview of this year’s Illuminations.

Blackpool is pushing for the return of the national Labour conference which would be worth £30 million to the local economy over just one week.

One of the 'most prolific' fraudsters that Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards have brought to justice has been jailed for three years and nine months.

An investigation is underway after a man who was injured during an aggravated burglary died.

A piece of Kirkham's heritage has been saved for future generations after a significant milestone in the restoration of the Grade II listed Hillside on Preston Street was reached.

Work is getting under way at Preston Town Hall to remove asbestos which has delayed repairs to toilet facilities in the building.

Hyndburn’s MP Sarah Smith has welcomed a move to upgrade parks across the borough, admitting that she was ‘shocked’ by the state some had been left in by 14 years of austerity.

The overhaul of a play area torched in a mindless vandal attack is still on schedule, insists Blackpool Council after ward councillors hit out at delays.

Superstar DJ and award-winning producer Fatboy Slim will head to the Lancashire coast next summer to headline the North West’s largest live music festival.

Plans for two new padel tennis courts in Poulton have been put forward to accommodate the world’s fastest growing sport.

The majority of the site once occupied by the Odeon Cinema and Tokyo Jo’s nightclub in Preston could be turned into a permanent car park.

A plan to install 17 rock groynes on the southern end of Blackpool’s beach has been hailed as the saviour of its famous golden sands – but almost 60 people and the RNLI are objecting.

Lancashire’s only Soapbox Challenge of 2026 is racing into Accrington on Saturday.

Blackpool Winter Gardens is throwing open its doors for a new weekender built around the bands and songwriters who soundtracked British guitar music from the tail end of the 80s through the 90s and beyond.

Blackpool is set to host its first-ever Illumination Switch-On Watch Party, giving hundreds more people the chance to be part of the biggest night in the resort’s calendar.

Illicit fireworks, prescription medication and tobacco have been seized in a joint crackdown with the police in Accrington town centre.

A joiner from Chorley who rummaged through a client’s underwear drawers has been sentenced.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a pedestrian died following a road traffic collision with a car on Centenary Way in Burnley.

The team at a Lancashire bakery are celebrating after five of their products were shortlisted in the Great British Food Awards on their first time entering.

Police are appealing for information after a man was seriously injured in a road crash in Blackpool.

Crews have tackled a large vehicle fire in Poulton-le-Fylde.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage after a motorcycle rider was left with serious injuries following a road traffic collision in Blackpool.

Supporters of Blackpool's North Pier have been asked to get involved in a public consultation into how the town's landmarks should be protected in future.

A singer songwriter from Kirkham has been backed by the legendary Sir Paul McCartney and Peter Kay.

Thousands of spectators lined the route as the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women's elite cycle race came to Lancashire.

Lancashire residents have been warned about a scam where fraudulent messages are sent about unpaid parking charges.

Police have arrested a man after carrying out a drugs raid on a property in Blackpool.

A year ago Peter Franklin was fighting for his life after suffering a massive heart attack while on his honeymoon in the Caribbean.

A programme of road closures will be in place when an elite women's cycling race visits Lancashire in a first for the county.

Emergency services have been called to a road crash in Buckshaw Village.

Crews have tackled a fire at a property in Blackpool.

Crews have been called to a building fire in Preston.

A registered sex offender has been jailed after indecent images of children and extreme pornography were found on devices belonging to him.

A Blackburn Rovers fan's love of her favourite team helped her get through to the next round of the UK's most popular TV sewing show.

Lancashire County Council has hailed "fabulous results" in today's A-levels and offered support for students thinking of their next move.

Firefighters freed a person from a vehicle following a road crash in Burnley.

Crews have tackled a fire at a house in Buckshaw Village.

A new initiative has been launched at Preston Market to help make sure that shoppers are buying genuine products and stamping out counterfeit sales.

Councillors have demanded more evidence to show that plans for dozens of new homes in a Chorley village will not increase the risk of flooding – before they decide whether to approve the development.

Proposals have been made to install 18 EV charging stations at Blackpool’s largest Tesco store in Marton.