Update from Chief Executive Mark Wynn, 14 April 2026

It is nice to have the lighter nights and hopefully some nicer weather. Although winter has been relatively mild in terms of temperature it feels like we have had our fair share of rain.

Last month saw our Corporate Peer Review being held, this is a key part in our journey to ensure that we provide the best possible services to the people of Lancashire.

New Employee Assistance provider

We have a new Employee Assistance provider – Vita Health Group. They offer independent, free and confidential support for personal, family or work issues that may affect your health and wellbeing. You can use the service without telling your manager.

Please look after yourself and use the support available if you need it.

If you manage staff, please make sure your team knows about the Employee Assistance Programme and how to access it.

You can access the service in a number of ways:

Call the helpline – open 24/7, 365 days a year: 0800 111 6387.
There is also a management support helpline – open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm: 0800 111 6385.
Wellbeing Hub online portal access: Vita Health - Login. Use access code lccsupport. Click the speech bubble icon to access the EAP live chat – Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

There is also information about the Employee Assistance Programme on the internet and the staff pages of our website: www.lancashire.gov.uk/staff.

Southport Public Inquiry

Yesterday, the report of the Southport Public Inquiry was published. My thoughts, and those of the council, remain with the families of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King, and with everyone affected.

Lancashire County Council provided evidence to the Inquiry last year, and I recognise that the publication of the report may be difficult for some colleagues, particularly those who gave evidence or who were closely involved in the Inquiry process.

Throughout the Inquiry, we worked closely with those directly involved to ensure appropriate support was in place, and that support continues. Your wellbeing is important, and I want to reassure you that help remains available.

If reading or hearing about the Inquiry has an impact on you, please speak to your line manager in the first instance. You can also access confidential support through our employee assistance provider detailed above or contact WellbeingSupport@lancashire.gov.uk. Please do make use of these services if you need them, and continue to look out for one another.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Government has now completed its statutory consultation on five proposals to reorganise local government in Lancashire. The consultation closed on Thursday 26 March, and all feedback submitted will be reviewed and considered by Government as part of its decision‑making process.

The proposals and supporting background information remain available on the joint Lancashire LGR website.

Government has set out a provisional timetable for next steps, with a decision on the preferred option for Lancashire expected in the summer. This would be followed by shadow elections in May 2027, ahead of new unitary councils going live in April 2028.

You may have seen recent Government announcements confirming local government reorganisation decisions in Essex, Hampshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. At this stage, no decision has been made about Lancashire. Government has been clear that these decisions do not set a precedent for Lancashire or other future LGR decisions. Each area is assessed on its own circumstances, proposals and evidence, and decisions are made on a case‑by‑case basis.

Alongside this, work is continuing across Lancashire to ensure we are well prepared for whichever option Government selects. This includes ongoing collaboration with all Lancashire councils to develop the detailed evidence and implementation planning needed to support a smooth transition to the new councils.

Internally, we are also undertaking preparatory work to understand how the county council could be split under different scenarios. This will include working with directorates and services across the organisation in the coming months to sense‑check our thinking and make sure we fully understand what this could mean for services, responsibilities and staff.

Don’t forget there is information and resources available on the Local Government Reorganisation section of the intranet or staff website at www.lancashire.gov.uk/staff. Further updates will be shared as more information becomes available.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email LGRQuestions@lancashire.gov.uk.

Looking back at our achievements

Our business planning and organisational planning runs from April-March each year. I thought it was a good opportunity to look back at what we have achieved over the last year, as we've seen important changes take hold. Across the county, services have moved from managing pressure and complexity to building confidence, capacity and stronger connections. I know that everyone in every part of the council has worked hard to improve and transform what we do. As a result, we're improving outcomes for our communities. We're also strengthening our financial position, reducing overspend and supporting a more sustainable organisation.

Some of our notable achievements have been:

We provided strong support to the new Administration and incoming Members, as they settled into their roles, ensuring a smooth transition and helping them quickly engage with their responsibilities and priorities.
Building on the commitments we set out in 2024, we have steadily increased the number of high‑quality places available across our special schools and SEND units. By September 2026, this journey will have delivered 265 additional special school places and 126 new SEND unit places, a total of 391 new SEND places created since September 2024.
Expanded Family Hubs, with a countywide model across all 12 districts, 29 hubs and 18 Youth Zones, meeting the commitment to serve every community with clearer, easier‑to‑access family support.
We reduced the number of people waiting over 28 days for an adult social care assessment by 50% and will continue to improve the Occupational Therapy assessment pathway.
We are helping more older residents to live safely and independently in their own homes. The number of people aged 65 and over needing to move into residential or nursing care continues to fall, and we are now performing better than our target for the year. This reflects our strong focus on early support and community‑based services, enabling more people to remain in the places they know and value.
Repaired 67,000 highway defects and cleaned 112,000 gullies to improve road safety, reduce flooding risk and maintain a reliable network.
Attracted major national and international events and inward investment, including hosting 110km of the 2027 Tour de France Stage 2.
Invested in anaerobic digestion to help drive Lancashire’s transition to a greener, low‑carbon future.
Maintained 5,749 km of public rights of way to keep rural routes safe, accessible and well‑connected.
To protect consumers and keep communities safe, Trading Standards seized 186,700 illegal cigarettes, removed 2,100 unsafe goods, carried out 79,000 Safe Trader searches and made 23 prosecutions.
Established a new community function bringing key place‑based teams under single leadership.
Our Efficiency Review delivered £21.9 million of identified savings over three years and £6.7 million deliverable in 2026/27.
We ran a successful public budget consultation which helped deliver a balanced budget for 2026/27.
We’ve made real progress in strengthening our finances. Since April last year, we’ve reduced our forecast budget overspend by £21.9 million, supported by a strong savings delivery rate of 91.6%. This means we are managing public money more effectively and keeping services on a more sustainable footing.
Established the new Lancashire Combined County Authority with districts, unitaries and the Lancashire Business Board, strengthening strategic leadership on transport, skills and economic development.
We’ve become more agile and modern, transforming how we work digitally and deploying AI at scale, so services are more accessible and efficient. 40% of staff now use Copilot regularly, and 1,400 have been trained to apply it within everyday business workflows.

This is a small selection of what we have achieved.

Looking ahead for 2026/27 we will need to maintain a strong focus on our strategic priorities. A report will shortly be presented to Cabinet setting out the key areas of focus for the year ahead, ensuring our work has the greatest possible impact for our residents, communities, and future preparedness.

This year, we also introduced a simpler business planning process to help us focus on what matters most. Each directorate has set clear objectives, so we can see the council’s priority programmes and how they fit together. This has helped shape the priorities we will take forward into 2026/27.

Award winners

Congratulations to our Archives Service and Community Engagement Team, who, alongside Community Rail Lancashire, have won an award at the Community Rail Awards 2026.

The award recognises a joint education project that explores railway history, sustainability and greener travel, while helping to foster civic pride in Lancashire. The project marks the anniversary of the opening of the first electrified rail line at Preston by Queen Elizabeth II.

Pupils from schools across Lancashire take part in workshops linked to rail travel and the county’s role in railway history. These workshops are now a permanent part of the Lancashire Archives education offer.

Take care

Mark