Update from Chief Executive Mark Wynn, 19 November 2025

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re having a good week. November is a busy month and I want to share some important updates and celebrate some great achievements together.

Looking ahead

Full Council will meet on 20 November to debate on our preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation, and you can read more about this below. On 27 November, Cabinet will then make its decision on the submission.

At its meeting, Cabinet will also consider a paper on our budget. Shortly after this, we’ll start public engagement on our budget plans. This will include a survey so people can share their views. We’re also expecting the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, which will set out the government’s priorities for the year ahead and explain how funding will be allocated across departments, including local councils.

Once we know what this means for Lancashire, we’ll let you know more.

Local Government Reorganisation

You'll know that government are changing how local government works. Their aim is to make councils simpler, stronger and closer to communities.

Currently, we have a two-tier system in Lancashire with county and district councils. The plan is to move to unitary councils, where one council delivers all local services in their area.

All 15 councils in Lancashire have worked together on the data informing proposals and five options are likely to be submitted to government in the coming weeks.

You will have seen that Full Council meeting papers were published last week and that these include a recommendation to endorse the proposal for two unitary authorities for Lancashire.

You can read the papers on the council website.

Next steps

The process is moving forward in stages. On 20 November, the proposals will be debated at Full Council. A week later, on 27 November, Cabinet will make its decision on the submission.

Once agreed, the proposals will be sent to government on 28 November 2025.

From early 2026, the government will run a consultation to gather views and by summer 2026, they will make their decision, and we expect to know which option will be implemented. After that, detailed planning will begin so everything is ready for the launch of the new councils in April 2028.

What this means for you

You don’t need to worry - most staff will move across to the new councils and the services you deliver will continue as normal. Day-to-day work won’t change overnight, so you can keep focusing on what matters most.

This change is also a chance to look ahead. As new structures take shape, there will be opportunities to rethink how we work and help design services that make a real difference for our communities.

We’ll keep you updated every step of the way. For the latest news and answers to common questions, check the Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation intranet site or the staff area of the county council website.

National Care Leavers Month

November marks National Care Leavers Month. I am proud to share that I have recently taken on the role of Corporate Parent Champion. This is a personal and professional commitment to making sure every care experienced young person in Lancashire is supported through care, ambition and action. Corporate parenting is one of the most important responsibilities we hold as a council.

As Corporate Parent Champion, I will work to strengthen accountability across the council and with our partners. I will help make sure corporate parenting is not just a legal duty but a shared approach that guides leadership and service delivery. I will also focus on improving access to education, employment, housing and health, so care experienced young people can move into adulthood with confidence and support.

I invite everyone to join me in recognising and celebrating the resilience and potential of Lancashire’s care experienced young people.

Winter ready

Our highways teams are now on standby for any wintry weather coming our way. From October to April they're always ready to grit the 1,500 miles of roads which are treated whenever a freeze is forecast – known as our priority gritting network. The team works year-round to ensure staff are trained and vehicles and equipment are maintained, to ensure a resilient service.

We also encourage residents and businesses to be winter-ready,  and make sure they're able to manage if we get a period of severe weather, which helps to reduce the pressure on our services. Another important message we remind everyone of at this time of year is that even roads which have been gritted can remain icy and to consider the conditions whenever they set out.

We’ve launched our Winter campaign, which runs until the end of February. It covers everything from low-cost festive family fun and warm spaces to road safety and looking after your health.

You can help by sharing our messages with your teams, networks and communities. Working together, we can help keep Lancashire safe, warm and well this winter.

Find out more at: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/winter.

Getting the best value for money

We launched the Savings Suggestion Scheme back in early September. The scheme provides a simple way for you to share ideas on how we can work smarter and save money. You can find out more about the Savings Suggestion Scheme on the intranet.

We’ve already had over 170 suggestions, which is brilliant. It’s clear there are lots of great ideas out there and now we’ve got a way to capture them and look at them together.

Like many councils, Lancashire needs to make big savings over the next few years. This is part of a wider efficiency review, agreed by Cabinet in June, to help us manage the challenges ahead. Teams across the council are already sharing data and insights to help us build a clear picture of our finances.

This review is a big part of our plan to become a future-ready council. It brings together different ways to make better use of public money – from how we buy goods and services, to how we deliver savings and find new ways to cut costs and improve outcomes.

We all have a role to play. Before making any financial decisions, take a moment to think: is this the best use of money? Could it be done more efficiently – or is it needed at all?

Even small actions, like turning off monitors and lights when you leave, can make a real difference.

Local Government Association (LGA) peer review – March 2026

I'm pleased to confirm that we will take part in a Local Government Association (LGA) peer review in March 2026.

Our last review took place in October 2021. The peer review is a voluntary process where experienced councillors and officers from other councils assess our performance. They act as a ‘critical friend’, offering constructive feedback on areas such as leadership, finance and strategy.

The review helps us understand what we’re doing well and where we can improve. It supports continuous improvement and helps us deliver on our local priorities.

I'll share more details closer to the time.

Amazing

I want to congratulate our Lancaster and Morecambe Domiciliary Service following their CQC inspection in June. The service was rated Good across all areas, with particular recognition for safety, safeguarding, and the delivery of effective care.

The service supports people with learning disabilities and autistic people who live independently. Inspectors described staff as “kind, caring and compassionate”, and praised their respect for individuals and encouragement of independence.

Another huge congratulations goes to our West Lancashire Short Break Services.  Their latest CQC report is equally impressive, with a Good rating in all areas. Inspectors highlighted the team’s positive and caring culture, person-centred approach and commitment to safeguarding.

Both reports reflect strong performance across the five key areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They shine a light on the high-quality support we provide and the dedication of our staff across Lancashire.

Thank you and well done to everyone involved.

Award winners

I’m proud to share that, working with Alchera, we’ve won the Public Transport Award at the Intelligent Transport Systems UK President’s Dinner.

The award recognises how we’ve used technology to make bus travel better and measure the benefits of traffic signal upgrades.

Key achievements include:

  • Intelligent Bus Priority (IBP): Upgraded signals and real-time bus data to reduce delays and improve journey times.
  • Pinch Point Analysis Tool (PPAT): Developed with Alchera to track bus travel times and measure the impact of priority measures.

These innovations have been driven by Levelling Up Fund projects in East Lancashire, supporting our vision to use technology boldly to make transport better for everyone.

Thank you to colleagues across Highways Signals Engineering, Urban Traffic Management Control, Transport Data and Analysis, and Digital Services. This is a great example of innovation and collaboration.

Great conference 

I want to thank everyone who helped make the Parish and Town Council Conference on 1 November such a success.

This event brings Lancashire’s Parish and Town Councils to County Hall to hear about Cabinet’s achievements and priorities for the year ahead. It’s an important opportunity to strengthen relationships and showcase the great work we do.

The conference was organised by the Communities Team in the Population Health and Strategic Operations Service. From the feedback I’ve seen, it was a fantastic event, with stalls and demonstrations from:

  • Lancashire Volunteer Partnership
  • Love Clean Streets
  • Public Health in Lancashire van
  • Welfare Rights
  • Speed Indicator Devices
  • Streetworks
  • Highways Network Management
  • Public Transport
  • Road Safety

This was a brilliant example of collaboration and teamwork across services.

Thank you for everything you do every day to make a difference for Lancashire. Have a great week.

Mark