strength
Use the East Lancashire programme to connect everyday trips
The programme combines street access, bus stops and town centres.
Connections are more useful when improvements work together.
What could help →Lancashire, in numbers
Issues and SWOT
Lancashire County Council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
strength
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £194,000 (July 2026) in Lancashire council area. This is about £100,000 lower than the England average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
What could help →Weaknesses
weakness
Test whether the A582 work solves the stated travel problem
The scheme targets congestion around Preston and South Ribble.
Early work does not yet provide the promised network improvement.
What could help →weakness
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.8% of people reported bad or very bad health in Lancashire council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Plan a complete journey to Cottam Parkway
The proposed station includes access roads, walking and cycling links.
A station needs practical connections from surrounding communities.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
20.7% of people in Lancashire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021).
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
What could help →opportunity
Connect local skills to local opportunities
30.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Lancashire council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Lancashire council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
What could help →opportunity
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →Threats
threat
Do not treat funding contributions as finished schemes
The station and A582 have remaining approval and delivery stages.
Expected housing and jobs depend on decisions beyond these announcements.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Use the East Lancashire programme to connect everyday tripsJanuary 2026 programme description. | Lancashire County Council | |
| Test whether the A582 work solves the stated travel problemOctober 2026 approval for enabling works. | Lancashire County Council | |
| Plan a complete journey to Cottam ParkwaySeptember 2026 funding decision. | Lancashire County Council | |
| Do not treat funding contributions as finished schemesSeparate funding stages for two projects. | Lancashire County Council | |
| Make room for homes people can affordThe average home price is £194,000 (July 2026) in Lancashire council area. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population20.7% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5.8% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities30.6% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services |