Preston, Leyland & Chorley News

Preston City Council has put forward a raft of measures at a cost of over £800,000 that will support residents on the lowest incomes as the cost of living crisis continues.

Lancashire County Council has insisted that the futures of 10 elderly care facilities have not yet been decided – after it was accused of making up its mind to close them before a public consultation has taken place.

A man who abused his vulnerable partner before she took her own life has been charged with perverting the course of justice – along with his girlfriend and mother.

A plan for future school provision in Lancashire has been given the green light this week.

Problems with the cameras set up to monitor Preston’s newest bus lane are the reason that motorists are not yet being fined if they break the rules, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

Amended plans have been submitted to Preston City Council for the full demolition of the Tithebarn Pub.

Police have arrested a man following the discovery of a cannabis grow in Leyland.

A new ‘sports village’ could be created on the outskirts of Preston as part of plans to build up to 250 homes.

Preston’s St. John’s Shopping Centre could be flattened to make way for more than 500 apartments, a new NHS neighbourhood health facility and a smaller number of replacement shops.

A man has been left with life changing injuries following a collision in Leyland.

A brand-new outdoor ice rink is coming to Preston city centre this Christmas, promising festive fun for all ages under the historic Preston Market canopy.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage following a serious collision that left a man with serious injuries on the M55.

AI bots are to be deployed alongside call centre staff at Lancashire County Council to assist with answering residents’ queries.

Leyland’s annual Music in the Park event has been axed amid a surge in the prices charged by artists on the concert circuit – and no sign of the gig breaking even anytime soon.

Fourteen new surveillance cameras will soon be installed across Preston city centre as part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to making streets safer for everyone.

Two of Longridge’s most cherished school crossing patrol officers have been formally recognised for their extraordinary dedication to road safety.

A special edition of The Parched Pea Podcast sees the Oscar winning creator of Wallace and Gromit share his journey from attic to the big screen

A man has been jailed after admitting multiple rape charges.

The Harris’ spectacular reopening weekend saw thousands of visitors flocking to experience the blockbuster 'Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum' exhibition and explore the £19 million transformed cultural landmark.

Strike action by Stagecoach bus drivers in Preston and Chorley has been suspended.

It might have undergone the biggest refurbishment in its 132-year history, but when Preston’s Harris Museum reopens its doors on Sunday, visitors familiar with the landmark building will find that the revolution has been a respectful one.

Police are appealing for help to find 37-year-old Stephen Pennington from Blackburn.

A fresh round of strike action by social care staff at Lancashire County Council has been announced after the authority was accused of failing to agree to reopen talks to try to resolve a dispute that is now in its second year.

Preston Pride is taking over the Flag Market today, celebrating the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

As The Harris prepares to welcome visitors back through its doors, excitement is building for its reopening exhibition, Wallace and Gromit in A Case at the Museum.

A man been jailed for more than 20 years after subjecting a young woman to a horrific kidnap and rape ordeal in Leyland.

Motorists are being warned that Fishergate bus lane in Preston city centre will become operational again from next week.

Police have charged a man with murder following the death of Gary Carlisle in Preston.

Anti-fracking campaigners in Lancashire have urged the government to fulfil a manifesto pledge to ban the process “for good”.

Chorley Live returns next month, with a fantastic weekend full of live music and entertainment across the town centre.

Preston Pride, the celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ community, has announced details of the 2025 event later this month.

The centrepiece of Preston’s revamped Harris Museum has been revealed ahead of the historic building’s long-awaited reopening later this month.

The site of a former Blackpool pub could become a temporary car park.

A teacher from Preston says she was reduced to tears after being threatened with bailiffs for failing to pay a traffic fine that she knew nothing about for almost a year.

Preston City Council has invested £250,000 in the ongoing development of NW Mutual, a mutual bank planning a network of 60-plus branches to be owned by, based in and for the people and small and medium-sized businesses of the north west of England.

Seven different flags will be permitted to be flown above Lancashire County Council’s headquarters after the authority’s cabinet agreed a new policy that members said was designed to encourage a collective pride in country and county.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal this week visited Lancashire Constabulary’s Headquarters in Hutton, Preston, for the launch of Victim Care Lancashire.

A further 10 illegal E-bikes and E-scooters have been seized in Preston as part of another day of action to tackle anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles.

Councillors have sent education bosses back to the drawing board after telling them that the parking arrangements for a planned new primary school on the outskirts of Preston are devoid of “common sense”.

A pair of dilapidated phoneboxes in Preston city centre are to be replaced with a modern ‘digital hub’ offering free wi-fi.

This year's Encounter festival will once again provide a free programme of outdoor theatre shows, games, and live music at various locations around Preston City Centre.

A drug dealer who crashed his car into a tree trying to get away from police in Bamber Bridge has been jailed.

Lancashire residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to have their say on the biggest council shake-up in the county for more than 50 years.

A bold new initiative aimed at helping to restore civic pride is sweeping its way across Lancashire.

Fewer cancers are diagnosed before they start to spread in Lancashire and South Cumbria than across most other parts of England.

Lancashire’s district councils are being encouraged to start emptying general household waste bins only once every three weeks, it has been claimed.

The leader of the Conservative group on Preston City Council has defected to Reform UK, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

Online applications for Lancashire's primary and secondary school places are now live.

A £40m plan has been unveiled for a 30-storey tower in Preston — set to become Lancashire’s tallest building. 

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of illegal cigarettes and vapes have been seized after a joint operation in Preston.

A man from Preston - the mastermind of one of the UK’s biggest ever carousel tax frauds - has been ordered to pay back more than £90 million.

A man has admitted to fatally assaulting a man in Leyland.

Two men and a boy have been arrested after police stopped a car on the M6 near Preston.

Plans have been unveiled to build a 30-storey tower block in Preston city centre that would become the tallest residential or office building anywhere in Lancashire.

Delays in kitting out dozens of new minibuses bought by Lancashire County Council to help cut the costs of transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities mean only half of them will be ready to come into service at the start of the new school year.

A mother whose unborn baby was killed by a dangerous driver has spoken of the devastating impact on her life.

Marks and Spencer have unveiled plans for a major expansion of their store on Preston’s Deepdale Shopping Park.

A man has been jailed after admitting a strong of sex offences against a teenage girl.

Plans to turn a vacant office building in Preston city centre into dozens of bedsits have been blocked – amid fears the location would prove too noisy for future residents.

Chorley Council does not want traveller families in the borough, according to the representative of a community which has been told it must leave a site where it had hoped to create a permanent home.

Police are appealing for information and witnesses after a man was left seriously injured following a collision in Rivington.

The accident happened on Thursday night on the A6 and witnesses are sought.

Kebabs containing completely different meats to what they were advertised as, have been discovered during food sampling investigations across Lancaster, Preston and Burnley.

A cobbled street on the cusp of Preston's green city oasis Winckley Square is the focus for the final episode of the second series of The Parched Pea Podcast.

A man who fatally stabbed a teenager in Ormskirk and then went on the run for 18 months has today been jailed for life.  

A new £6.6 million bridge over the River Ribble is set to open by spring 2026.

Preston’s highly anticipated world buffet restaurant is set to open its doors at the end of this month.

A long-awaited revamp of one of the busiest roads in Central Lancashire is set to get the government funding needed to make it a reality.

Police have warned motorists after footage circulated online following a collision on the M6 in which nine people were injured.

The price of parking at Preston Bus Station is to increase by 20 percent.

Preston's Dick, Kerr Ladies drew huge crowds in their day and are seen as the trailblazers of the women's game.

Getting Preston moving to the Bangra beats has become more than just a hobby for one woman in the city.

UPDATED - The northbound section of the M6 has reopened following an earlier serious collision near junction 33 at Lancaster.

A man has been jailed for 12 years and nine months at Preston Crown Court following an investigation into a stabbing which took place in Ingol last September.

BAE Systems has rejected a union’s claim that hundreds of jobs are at risk at its Lancashire military aircraft factories because the government has failed to order more of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet.

Preston’s iconic cultural landmark, The Harris, will officially reopen its doors to the public on Sunday, September 28.

A derelict pub in Preston city centre is to be partially demolished.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has unveiled a new funding initiative aimed at supporting projects that address violence against women and girls across the county.

Sipping a brew and speaking to those who served in the Armed Forces is where we spend the latest episode of the Parched Pea Podcast.

Children at Lea Community Primary School have praised the huge revamp of their school which will see the school's intake gradually double.

Preston is to enter into a friendship agreement with the Palestinian city of Hebron.

Lancashire is in line for its first branch of a chicken chain restaurant that has more than 1,500 outlets around the world.

Lancashire urged to shine a spotlight on its hidden heritage with National Blue Plaque nominations

Preston’s Spud Bros look set to be granted permission to replace the city’s iconic hot potato tram with a larger unit.

Two delivery men who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in her own home, have been jailed.

A ground breaking £2 million youth and community centre has opened in Preston.

Two men have been jailed after trying to arrange the sale of a deadly handgun over an encrypted global communication service used by criminals.

During the last two weeks police have carried out a series of warrants targeting people suspected of operating drug lines to supply heroin and cocaine in Preston.

The family of a motorbike rider who died after a collision in Walton-le-Dale this week have paid tribute to him.

Three friends from Lancashire are aiming to complete an epic charity challenge to climb the ten highest mountains in Scotland back to back as fast as possible.

Senior Preston councillors are being urged to delay plans to demolish an historic pub – and instead consider whether it could be turned to a heritage centre for the city.

A life of glitz and glam from Preston, to Benidorm and even Longridge has been told.

A multi-agency day of action by a road safety partnership found that none of the part-worn tyres inspected at a series of garages across Preston met legal requirements.

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, has joined growing calls for urgent government action to address disruptions on the M6 motorway.

A Leyland man has been jailed after a stop and search found him to be carrying a knife.

Nigel Farage has told the new Reform UK administration at Lancashire County Council that how they perform will play a part in how well the party does at the next general election in 2029.

A man who raped a young woman on her way home from a night out in Preston has been jailed for 13 years.

A new indoor sports centre in Preston will be based around padel and five-a-side football, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

King Charles has visited Lancaster Castle, his first engagement in Lancashire since he became Monarch.

People in Preston aged 55 to 74 who have ever smoked and are registered with a participating GP practice, will soon be invited for potentially life-saving lung cancer screening.

A man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a baby by dangerous driving.

A burglar who targeted homes in Preston, including that of a pensioner in his 90s, has been jailed.

Arriving in Preston speaking no English aged just five-years-old, Kailash Parekh has gone on to become a pillar of the city's community.

A new housing development on the outskirts of Preston is set to include a school and care home – if it gets the go-ahead.

Lancashire County Council is next on the list to get a visit from a Reform UK team that has modelled itself on Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the United States.

The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the north-west of England following the driest start to spring in 69 years.

King Charles will make an official visit to Lancaster next month, his first trip to Lancashire since becoming monarch, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Chorley Police have teamed up with Lancashire Trading Standards and young volunteers from across the area to conduct an under-age sales operation as part of Operation Sceptre – a national, intensive week of action to tackle knife crime. 

Community and voluntary groups in Preston have been told they will not be left in limbo after it emerged government cash earmarked for local projects will take longer to come through than first expected.

Hospital bosses have moved to reassure cancer patients in Lancashire that they will get the same standard of radiotherapy treatment – regardless of whether or not it is delivered by a new state-of-the-art machine coming to the county.

Preston City Council has announced Asian inspired Japanese restaurant, Wagamama is to open at its newly launched £45million Animate leisure scheme.

A Leyland man has admitted kidnapping and raping a woman at knifepoint.

Preston “desperately needs” more of the top quality office space that could attract government departments to the city, according to a local business group.

A burglar who targeted a home in Preston has been jailed.

The county council's new leader and cabinet have been announced at its full council meeting.

A new date has been set for the start of demolition work on three tower blocks on the outskirts of Preston city centre.

While we might have been enjoying some balmy temperatures and the thermostats have been turned down - we'll soon see energy bills back in the headlines.

Asian-inspired restaurant chain Wagamama is set to open an outlet in Preston’s Animate cinema and leisure complex, it has emerged.

Police are investigating an assault which left a man with serious injuries over the weekend.

Lancashire Police have provided an update on the moorland fire in the Rivington area earlier this week.

A Preston shop, trading under the name of PR1 Euro Mini Market, on Church Street, has been banned from selling any tobacco or vaping products for 12 months.

The next leader of Lancashire County Council is set to be Cllr Stephen Atkinson.

A free shuttle bus that ferries staff between the Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble hospitals is to be scrapped as part of a cost-cutting drive.

Lancashire Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a man was seriously injured in a collision in Preston.

The defeat suffered by the Conservatives in last week’s Lancashire County Council elections was more a reflection of the national political mood than the result of discontent with local services, according to the new leader of the Tory group on the authority.

One of the heritage jewels in the heart of the city is at the centre of the latest edition of The Parched Pea Podcast.

Preston City Council will proudly mark both VE Day and VJ Day in 2025 with a series of commemorative events in the city centre, following requests from local veterans and community members.

The third stage of a scheme to replace traffic lights at key junctions in Preston is set to begin over the weekend.

The Reform UK group that now controls Lancashire County Council will elect a leader this Saturday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

Two of Reform UK’s victorious candidates in the Lancashire County Council elections have admitted to being shocked to find themselves as part of the group that will now take charge of the authority.

Reform UK is set to take control of Lancashire County Council following the local elections.

A derelict building in Preston city centre is to be demolished.

Three burglars who targeted homes across Chorley have been jailed for a total of 10 years.

Now in its sixth year the creative brains behind The Lancashire Festival has lifted the lid on the inclusive arts event in the city.

Two people have been charged as part of an ongoing investigation into a collision in Bamber Bridge which left a baby boy dead and his mother seriously injured.

Work has officially commenced on the Serpentine Lake at Moor Park.

Lancashire Police are looking to trace the family and friends of a man who was very sadly found dead in Preston last week.

A former social club in Preston is to be turned into a snooker hall after planners ruled the sport was sufficiently quiet for the residential street where it will now be played.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a large cannabis grow in Preston.

A 17-year-old was arrested after a 135mph pursuit along the M6 and M65.

One of Preston’s favourite live music venues, 53 Degrees, is set to make a triumphant return in August after nearly a decade of closure.

Preston’s famous hot potato tram could be in line for its biggest facelift in the 70 years since it was established, as its current social media-star operators plan a huge overhaul.

Police attended incident at Rivington this morning after suspected grenades were discovered.

A Chorley man who saved a stranger’s life by donating stem cells, and is calling on others to sign up to do the same.

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.

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

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

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

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

Escaping from the clutches of the gas chambers aged just three - Lady Milena has reflected on her life as an adopted Prestonian ever since.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Preston should merge with Lancaster and Ribble Valley as part of a forthcoming shake-up of local government, the city’s councillors are set to argue.

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

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.

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

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

A radical revamp of Lancashire’s councils could end up creating a system that is £11m a year more expensive to run than the one it replaces – in spite of one of the aims of the change being to save money.

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

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.

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.

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.

A burglar who targeted multiple homes in Preston City Centre has been jailed for more than six years.

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 information and footage following a fatal collision in Fulwood.