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Local democracy reporter

Veteran Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Jacobs covers all the goings-on across Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, and Hyndburn borough councils, plus other public services in East Lancashire. Bill has spent his career in political journalism, from town halls to the wood-panelled corridors of Westminster.

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Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with Director General of the Tidy Britain Group Professor Graham Ashworth, Mayor of Wigan Councillor Audrey Bennett, and Environment Minister David Trippier when Mrs. Thatcher opened the Tidy Britain HQ at Trencherfield Mill on Friday 26th of January 1990.

Retiring Local Democracy Reporter Bill Jacobs' journalistic travels

Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles follow the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales, into Westminster Abbey at her funeral

'You don't forget attending Princess Diana's funeral'

Vandalised gravestones at St James Church in Leyland

Leyland church amongst 158 in Lancashire targeted

Helen Voegt asks her question at Council Forum

Reform UK raises 'family voting' concerns ahead of local elections

St Mary Magdalen's Church, Accrington

Church 'not safe to use' to close as bosses can't afford to repair it

The former Subway building at 3 to 7 Blakey Moor

Future of former Subway secured six years after closing for good

Campaigners have won their battle for a new pedestrian crossing near St Francis CE Primary School in Cherry Tree Lane in Blackburn

Major update on campaigners' battle after child hit by vehicle

Accrington Victoria Hospital

What future holds for 'dangerous' hospital being illegally occupied

A CGI image of future plans for Blackburn town centre with the rebuilt St John's Church in the centre

Key update on future of church seven years after being gutted by fire

How the proposed Spring Gardens, Darwen, houses would look

Town centre land plagued by 'nefarious activities' to be transformed

Burnley's Manchester Road railway station

Sir Keir Starmer's promise over revamp for Lancashire train station

Accrington Cemetery

Dog ban after pets foul on graves could be 'racially tense issue'

Cllr Munsif Dad

Number of HMOs revealed as some streets 'absolutely battered'

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s leader Cllr Phil Riley

We're finally seeing Northern Rail improvements after all our efforts

The works on Manchester Road, Burnley

I want businesses compensated as roadworks chaos is a massive burden

The pile of waste at Meadowbrook Rise, Haslingden Road, Blackburn

Developers fined £24m for actions at problem new housing estate

Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw

Police boss tells forces to stop selling seized e-bikes to criminals
Lancashire’s crime commissioner has criticised other police forces for selling confiscated e-bikes and scooters which are then being bought by county criminals.
Bill Jacobs

Accrington Cemetery

Cemetery crackdown coming as relatives distressed by dog poo on graves

Hyndburn Council town centres boss Cllr Clare Pritchard in Accrington town centre

You've told us loud and clear that we need to do something – so we are

Accrington Market Hall

Major update on grand reopening of town's historic Market Hall

The Gannow Lane, Burnley, premises

Former chapel to get new lease of life as it becomes new corner shop

How the proposed Spring Gardens, Darwen, houses would look

Crunch meeting to decide fate of seven new four-storey homes

Police and town hall officers have removed all booze from the shelves of a Blackburn convenience store after it lost its appeal over the stripping of its alcohol licence by the council.

Police confiscate all alcohol from shop after 'criminal activity'

The Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle, site

Verdict on new housing estate after stark warning 'someone will die'

An image of the proposed Huncoat Garden Village

New road for massive housing development clears major hurdle

Cllr Munsif Dad, Leader of the Council and Cllr Melissa Fisher, Deputy Leader of the Council outside Mercer Hall, Great Harwood

Next phase of overhaul for historic Lancashire landmark ready to start

Cllr Munsif Dad, leader of Hyndburn Borough Council

'We have listened': borough launches immediate crackdown on new HMOs

The Foundry Tap and Kitchen, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn

Verdict on pub revamp that neighbours say would make their lives worse
A Blackburn bar and restaurant can replace its front decking and add two pergolas and a glass balustrade to the outdoor drinking area.
Bill Jacobs

A general view of Dowry Street, Accrington

Five applications in two weeks for bedsits in former family homes

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service backed the ban

Ban on barbeques, campfires and fireworks to be extended

An image of the proposed Huncoat Garden Village

Major update on new road that's key to huge housing development

The Former Lord Longworth Pub In Oswaldtwistle

Pub to be saved from demolition as developers put forward fresh idea

Burnley MP Oliver Ryan

Town centre roadworks 'costing drivers their sanity' as chaos slammed

The site off Crosby Road, Blackburn

Lancashire council sells land that's blighted by fly-tipping for £1

Blackburn Road, Accrington

Verdict on old bike showroom becoming food shop with halal butcher

Hyndburn Council has confirmed it will freeze its portion of the council tax for the year from April 1

Borough freezes council tax – but Tories wanted bills cut instead

Burnley Council is to increase its portion of the council tax by 1.99 per cent from April 1

Another area hit by council tax rise – it's not as bad as it could be

The Coniston Road, Blackburn, properties

Verdict on scheme to turn large house in busy area into nursery

Larch trees at Rossendale's Barlow Bottoms

Major update on work to fell hundreds of trees as disease spreads

How the proposed new M&S Food Hall would look

Issa brothers and M&S unveil plans for new Food Hall in Lancashire

The Early Start Nursery, Tennyson Avenue, Oswaldtwistle

Lancashire nursery open for more than a decade without permission

Cllr Vicky McGurk speaks at Finance Council

One area 'reluctantly' decides to hike council tax by maximum amount

The Higher Barn Street site

New business to bring unused and unsightly land back to life

Cranshaw Drive, Roe Lee, Blackburn

Householder forced to take action after neighbours dobbed him in

Cllr Dave Smith at the Darwen kiosk

Dilapidated cigarette kiosk blighting town centre to be knocked down

The location for the Queen's Park Blackburn shipping container

Huge metal shipping container to be placed in historic park

Councillor calls for major rethink over lengthy bridge closure

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