Fylde MP hits out at Lancashire council shake-up decision

The Conservative MP reacted angrily after it emerged that Lancashire's 15 existing councils will be replaced by four new unitary authorities by April 2028, with Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre forming one of the new council areas.

In a video posted on social media following the announcement, Mr Snowden said residents had repeatedly made clear they did not support the proposal.

This is despite the option put forward by both Fylde and Wyre Councils - a three authority set-up - would have seen them merged with Blackpool anyway, but with the addition of Lancaster.

The four-council model was proposed by Chorley Council and backed by a number of other lower-tier authorities (Image: LancashireLGR)

He said: "I am angry and I am frustrated.

"This morning, the Labour government have announced they're going to force Fylde and Wyre to merge with Blackpool as they throw the whole of Lancashire into the chaos of restructure and council mergers for years to come.

"We have made our voices clear across Fylde and Wyre.

"You said it loud and clear, I said it loud and clear. We don't want this."

All 15 of Lancashire's councils were asked to put forward their favoured options for local government reorganisation - both Fylde and Wyre backed the three council option which joined them up with Blackpool and Lancaster.

They have got their wish, mostly; however, Lancaster will be merged with the Ribble Valley and Preston.

The Conservative MP claimed the move would see Fylde and Wyre become a "council tax cash converter" to help pay off Blackpool's debts and argued decision-making could become dominated by the seaside resort.

He added: "It will not help our area.

"We won't get the services that we want and need."

Fylde councillor Adam Brierley also criticised the plans, writing on Facebook: "This is a bad day for Fylde.

"We made it clear that we do not want this merger, but the government has yet again ignored us."

The announcement sparked a fierce debate online.

One resident claiming to be from Blackpool agreed with the criticism, writing: "As a resident of Blackpool, I totally agree.

"This Labour council is a disaster."

Another questioned the financial implications of the move, posting: "What is Blackpool Council's debt compared to the Fylde and Wyre Councils?

"Labour are trying to swallow up their debt with better performing councils."

However, not everyone accepted Mr Snowden's argument.

One commenter accused the MP of turning the issue into a political battle, writing: "Make sure you vote for a strong local councillor who will fight your case.

"This is happening, whatever Mr Snowden says.

"He is using it as a political football."

Shadow local government secretary James Cleverly had accused the government of gerrymandering to sure up Labour control of councils - a claim Secretary of State Steve Reed pointed out as not backed up by fact, as the majority of proposals had cross-party support.

The reorganisation is part of the Government's wider local government reform programme, which will abolish Lancashire's current two-tier system of county and district councils.

Under the preferred four-unitary model, the county will be divided into:

• Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre
• Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale
• Lancaster, Preston and Ribble Valley
• Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire

Supporters of the four-council proposal have argued the new authorities would be large enough to be financially sustainable while remaining connected to local communities.

They estimate the changes could eventually deliver almost £195 million in cumulative savings across Lancashire, with recurring annual benefits of more than £80m from 2032/33 onwards.

The new councils are due to formally take over on April 1, 2028, with elections to shadow authorities expected to be held in May 2027.

The reforms will also dramatically reduce the number of elected councillors across Lancashire, from almost 700 currently serving on county and district councils to a figure expected to be in the low hundreds.

A Government announcement on the final structure is expected later today.