Growth, Environment, Transport and Health
Our Directorate provides a comprehensive range of services aimed at fostering community connections, driving growth and development, and enhancing individual well-being. We prioritise health and wellbeing in all our initiatives, ensuring our services are both effective and empowering. We actively collaborate with business and the private sector to create mutually beneficial partnerships that support economic growth and community development. By leveraging the strengths and resources of local enterprises, we enhance service delivery, stimulate innovation, and contribute to a thriving local economy.
Under Economic Growth, key service delivery includes oversight of Lancashire's £20bn major development and infrastructure programme; adult skills, careers and employment; business support; the Council's real estate; place marketing and inward investment into Lancashire.
Environment includes Waste Management, recycling and disposal; the Local Planning Authority; Active Travel; Public Rights of Way; Historic Environment; Countryside sites; Public Rights of Way; Nature, Economy and Biodiversity; and responsibilities for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape.
Highway and Transport includes responsibility for the local transport and Lead Local Flood Authority; road, bridge and associated asset and environmental management and maintenance; parking and road safety; street works, drainage and traffic management; together with design teams and delivery of a significant capital programme, fleet and transport services; and public transport.
Accountabilities for Public Health, Wellbeing and Communities include health prevention, protection and improvement; health and safety; emergency planning and business continuity; community safety and counter-terrorism; welfare rights; trading standards and scientific services.
Business Growth
The Business Growth Service promotes business growth and employment in Lancashire. It delivers Boost – Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, supports major external funding programmes, provides strategic advice to Lancashire County Developments Ltd, and offers business finance advice and loans. It also supports inward investment and foreign-owned companies in Lancashire.
Estates
The Estates Service supports economic growth and transport initiatives through land and property provision. It handles land acquisition for capital programmes, disposes of land and buildings, provides valuations for regeneration projects, and manages operational property portfolios, including business parks.
Strategic Development
Strategic Development delivers major development programmes like City Deal, Lancashire Central, and Enterprise Zones. It also handles strategic economic development and regeneration projects, including major infrastructure, housing delivery, and urban regeneration.
Skills
The Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub supports the Lancashire Combined County Authority and local councils. Its responsibilities include developing the Lancashire Skills and Employment Strategic Framework (2024-29), devolving skills and employment funds, and producing Labour Market Intelligence. The Hub collaborates with Economic Development to align with growth priorities, manages the Lancashire Careers Hub, and oversees various skills and employment programs. It also promotes Technical Education pathways and integrates Social Value into strategic projects.
Highways Network Management
The Highways Service manages Lancashire’s highway network, including road maintenance, traffic issues, street lighting, traffic signals, flood risk management, and parking enforcement. It advises on the highway impact of proposed developments and regulates road works.
Public and Integrated Transport
Fleet Services manage the council's vehicles and plant. Integrated Transport Services provide home-to-school transport for SEND students and transport for adults with learning difficulties. The Public Transport Service develops bus and local rail services, manages school transport, and supports community transport.
Highways Operations and Design
The Operations and Design Service delivers a £50m+ capital programme for property and highway assets. It designs and manages building improvements and highway construction projects, offering technical expertise in various engineering and design fields. It also provides traded services to schools and property developers.
Environment & Climate Service
This service manages ecology, nature recovery, countryside sites, public rights of way, and the Forest of Bowland National Landscape team. It coordinates the review and delivery of the National Landscape Management Plan.
Planning & Transport Service
This service handles statutory town and country planning functions, prepares the Minerals and Waste Local Plan, and determines planning applications for various sites. It also develops transport improvement plans, secures funding, and oversees scheme delivery.
As a Waste Disposal Authority, the service manages waste processing, treatment, composting, and disposal. It operates recycling centres, waste transfer stations, and promotes reuse and recycling. Lancashire Renewables runs waste recovery parks converting rubbish into refuse-derived fuels.
Health Improvement
The Children and Young People team commissions services for children aged 0-19 and 0-25 with SEND, including health visiting and school nursing. It supports health improvement workstreams like infant feeding, vision screening, and dental epidemiology, collaborating with partner organizations on various projects.
Healthy Heart
This team focuses on reducing cardiovascular disease through programs like NHS Health Checks, healthy weight services, and physical activity initiatives. It collaborates with district councils and other partners to promote healthy lifestyles and improve food systems.
Mental Health & Tobacco
Smokefree Lancashire provides smoking cessation services for individuals aged 12 and above. The young people's program emphasizes prevention and early intervention. The service also supports adults in high-prevalence areas and collaborates with various providers for complex needs support.
Sexual and Reproductive Health
This team commissions comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV support and prevention. The service model focuses on prevention, testing, support for people living with HIV, and addressing stigma, aligning with the National HIV Action Plan.
Substance Use
The team commissions integrated drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services for adults and children. It supports the Lancashire Drug and Alcohol partnership and provides expert advice to stakeholders. Services include community treatment, residential detoxification, and specialist rehabilitation.
Partnership Development Team
This team ensures the County Council meets its statutory obligations relating to community safety, working with district councils and other stakeholders. It supports the Parish Champion and Cabinet Member for Cultural Services and Communities.
Domestic Abuse Team
The team provides support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse, working with statutory and non-statutory partners to improve outcomes. It also commissions services to help perpetrators change behavior.
Corporate Counter Terrorism Team
This team implements the Government Counter Terrorism Strategy across the organization, including the Prevent Duty. It delivers training and manages the Local Authority Security Review Group to reduce the impact of terrorist attacks.
Wider Determinants Team
The team champions health equity and evidence-based decision-making, collaborating with partners to reduce health inequalities. It focuses on improving social, economic, and environmental determinants of health through policies and initiatives.
Welfare Rights Team
Experts in welfare benefits, the team ensures service users receive their full entitlement. It provides benefit advice and assistance to Lancashire residents and council employees, supporting vulnerable populations through campaigns and e-learning modules.
Health Protection Team
The team aims to improve and protect the health of Lancashire's population through prevention initiatives, early access, detection, and treatment. It provides assurance on health protection elements like screening, immunizations, outbreak management, and environmental risks.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Team
The IPC team manages infection outbreaks, provides specialist advice, audits care settings, and offers education and training for health and social care professionals. It ensures best practice and develops policies and care pathways.
Business Support
The team supports senior management in various departments, handles recruitment, manages sexual health payments, provides admin support, and records Freedom of Information Requests.
Contracts
The contracts team oversees the procurement of public health services, ensuring effective commissioning and collaboration with stakeholders to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities.
Quality and Practice Improvement
This team ensures effective public health services through assurance frameworks and performance management. It focuses on professional development, research capability, and performance metrics.
Staff and Stakeholder Engagement
The team introduces systems for staff-led transformation and promotes public health to Lancashire residents and partners.
Strategic Operations
The team improves health programs and outreach services, deploying the PHIL van for vaccination campaigns and supporting various health initiatives.
Communities Team
The team supports local groups to improve wellbeing, engages with minoritized communities, and connects stakeholders at strategic and operational levels.
Lancashire Volunteer Partnership
The partnership recruits and trains volunteers for council services, supports vulnerable people, and collaborates with companies on corporate social responsibility projects.
Health, Safety and Resilience
This service ensures plans are in place for emergency incidents and outbreaks, working with partner agencies to manage emergency situations effectively.
Health, Safety and Quality
The team ensures the council has appropriate policies and procedures to fulfill legal obligations, protect employees' health and safety, and maintain quality systems for high-risk areas.
Trading Standards
The service enforces legislation related to weights and measures, doorstep crime, illicit goods, food and animal feeds, and petroleum and explosives. It investigates unethical commercial practices and conducts preventative work around drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
Scientific Services
Operating commercially, the service provides asbestos monitoring, lab-based testing, and manages closed landfill sites to protect public health and safety.