I wasn't happy about changes but we've got to make the best of local government merger, says Blackpool leader

Blackpool Council’s leader says she won’t let her initial disappointment over plans merge the authority with Wyre and Fylde prevent the council from making the best of if it for residents.

When the Government confirmed which option it had chosen for Blackpool in Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Lancashire, Cllr Lynn Williams expressed “sadness” and fears that the resort would lose its identity as a proud unitary authority.

But Cllr Williams says there is no choice but to grasp an opportunity to make it work and says the three authorities have often worked together successfully already.

Under the plans, Lancashire County Council and all 15 existing smaller councils in the county will be disbanded and four new unitary councils will be created, including the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde model.

The new authorities - whose names will be agreed at a later date - will provide all council services in their area. The changes, which are subject to Parliamentary approval, will formally come into effect on April 1, 2028, but will exist in shadow form from May 2027 when their first elections will be held.

For many years Blackpool Council had fought for its current unitary status, achieved in 1998 when it gained independence from Lancashire County Council.

The council had reluctantly chosen another LGR option from the merger with Wyre and Fylde, hoping to merge with Preston, Fylde and the more urban part of Wyre which is west of the River Wyre.

But the Government did not support that.

Cllr Williams felt that trying to incorporate rural Wyre into a new authority with urban Blackpool was a bad fit and that Preston, which faced many similar issues, made more sense.

She said this week: “We have to ensure the new arrangement will work as well as possible, for everyone.

“I did feel sad because Blackpool Council - and (late councillor) Ivan Taylor fought so hard for independent unitary status.

“But I know he would the first to say we have to make the best of it, and that’s what we’ll do.

“As a town we have never stood still and we will embrace this opportunity and ensure that the issues that matter to people are reflected in our new authority.

“in preparation for this, the workforces of all three authorities - and Lancashire County Council - have been doing so much work behind the scenes to make sure there is as smooth a transition as possible when it comes in.

“Our priorities are all the same - we have to deliver good services across the board to all our residents, from roads to social care, housing and accounts.”

One likely change is that the new home for councillors currently in Wyre and Fylde is likely to be Blackpool Town Hall.

Blackpool Council has even checked to ensure that there is enough room to squeeze all the councillors ( there are currently 74) in the chamber.

Cllr Williams continued: “There are already good examples of how well the three councils have worked together so far.

“The Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde Economic Prosperity Board has been meeting up for years, involving all three council working together across a wide range of issues.”

Wyre and Fylde Councils have expressed unhappiness with the merger plans, while Fylde’s Conservative MP Andrew Snowden even launched a petition against it and and raised concerns about Blackpool’s debt, which Cllr Williams refuted.

The political make-up of the new authority remains up in the air. While Blackpool Council is currently Labour-led, Wyre and Fylde are Conservative authorities at present.

But Cllr Williams added: “Like everywhere else, we don’t know how the elections will go, with everything that is happening.

“There is no guarantee on those elections - nobody can take anything for granted.

“What we do know is that, as an authority, it is important we make the right decisions and work together.”