Preston's Labour councillors decide which parts of Lancashire the city should merge with

A meeting of the authority heard Labour members had come to a “unanimous” position, but the party will not be revealing its preferred partners for the overhaul until all 15 local authority leaders in the county have tried to come to a common stance on the controversial subject later this month.

The government wants to hear preliminary proposals from ‘two-tier’ areas like Lancashire about how they would slash the number of councils in their patch in favour of creating a handful of new ones - ending the division between the county council and districts like Preston in the process.

A previous suggestion by city council leader Matthew Brown for the establishment of a ‘Greater Preston’ authority - which would have subsumed parts of South Ribble, Ribble Valley and Wyre into a new Preston-centred council - have been dropped, because it fell too far short of the 500,000 population size the government wants the replacement authorities to have.

A paper presented to the meeting noted the possibility of a tie-up between Preston, Lancaster and Ribble Valley, which - while still coming it at just 366,000 residents - could attract government support after ministers promised "flexibility" on the issue.

The document noted such an arrangement - while not yet being formally proposed - would bind together Lancashire’s only two cities, with an area that has “a major rural economy focus” in the shape of Ribble Valley.

The new council geography would encompass major universities and establish “a creative mix of city, suburban and rural communities with capacity for housing growth”, councillors were told.

It would also include part of the jobs-rich Samlesbury Enterprise Zone - which straddles South Ribble and Ribble Valley - creating a strong "innovation and technology" economy.

Lancaster and Ribble Valley councils have both expressed their opposition to the government demand for a revamp of the current local authority set-up, with each calling for local referenda to be held on the matter. However, Ribble Valley has indicated that, if left with no choice over the changes, it would favour a union with Preston and Lancaster.

City council leader Matthew Brown said his Labour group would reveal its preference after the 21st March deadline set by the government for initial submissions.

“Then it’s matter that will come back to council for a final decision whilst negotiations continue across the Lancashire family.

“We must take the opportunity for the new powers and resources that will come with devolution [while ensuring] it’s done in a way which is best for Preston and aligns with our values in the circumstances that we find at this moment in time,” Cllr Brown explained.

He added that when the city council as a whole did decide on its vision for the new-look local government arrangements for Preston, “it would be really good if we could have every single hand in this council chamber go up for it”.

It is likely that the new authority would formally come into being in April 2028, with so-called ‘shadow elections’ to the body being held the previous May as part of a year-long transition period between the current and replacement councils.

The move would mark the biggest shift in local government in Lancashire since 1974 when the 12 - at the time 14 - district councils were established in their modern-day form. Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen became standalone authorities in 1998.

In a sweeping series of changes, Lancashire is also likely to have an elected mayor by May 2026 after a surprise announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner last month. Meanwhile, the new Lancashire Combined County Authority - established to oversee the area's long awaited devolution deal - is to meet for the first time this Tuesday.