Published on Wednesday 19 August 2026 at 1:32 pm
A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) designed to reduce the risk of wildfires across the West Pennine Moors has been renewed for a further three years.
Published on Friday 7 August 2026 at 2:44 pm
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has announced plans to extend Pleasington Cemetery to secure burial space for local people in the future.
Published on Thursday 6 August 2026 at 1:47 pm
A landlord has been ordered to pay more than £4,500 after failing to clear waste from three Darwen properties despite repeated warnings from Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Environmental Crime Team.
Published on Tuesday 14 July 2026 at 11:22 am
Residents living in terraced properties across Blackburn with Darwen can now charge their electric vehicle (EV) outside their home thanks to a government funded initiative.
Filed under: Part Of Your Story
Published on Monday 6 July 2026 at 2:31 pm
Following the overwhelming response to last year’s consultation on the future of the Conservatory at Corporation Park, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is once again asking residents to help shape its future.
Published on Tuesday 30 June 2026 at 2:50 pm
The Lancashire Waste Partnership is updating its strategy for managing waste across Lancashire from 2026-2036 and has launched a new survey to find out your views.
Filed under: bins | Consultation | environment | Lancashire | partnership | survey | waste
Published on Tuesday 23 June 2026 at 1:13 pm
Residents across Blackburn with Darwen are being encouraged to take a few simple steps to stay well and enjoy the warmer weather as an amber heat-health alert comes into effect across the North West.
Filed under: amber warning | extreme heat | heat health | heatwave | water safety
Published on Wednesday 11 March 2026 at 3:45 pm
Businesses across the borough were targeted in an operation recently for illicit vapes and cigarettes, with successful results.
Published on Tuesday 10 March 2026 at 11:37 am
The council is backing a national call for sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping to be urgently reviewed, after new figures show that court fines for the offence are often lower than the penalties councils can issue directly.
Filed under: Blackburn | council | Councillor Jim Smith | Darwen | environment | fixed penalty notice | fly tipping | Flytipping | FPN | waste
Published on Monday 9 March 2026 at 2:00 pm
A ban on barbeques, campfires, sky lanterns and fireworks across the moors is up for review.
Filed under: Bolton | Chorley | Consultation | council | Councillor Damian Talbot | Darwen | Moors | No moor fire
Published on Wednesday 18 February 2026 at 4:21 pm
Blackburn Household Waste Recycling Centre now has an added reuse shop, where residents can donate or buy preloved items.
Published on Friday 13 February 2026 at 5:09 pm
Since acquiring Jack’s Key Lodge in Darwen, the council along with the local community are making noticeable changes already.
Filed under: Councillor Jim Smith | councillor phil riley | Darwen | Jack's Key | Leader | tree planting
Published on Thursday 15 January 2026 at 6:15 pm
Blackburn with Darwen will feature as part of the Tour de France Grand Départs – set to be the largest free sporting spectacle in British history.
Filed under: Tour de France
Published on Tuesday 13 January 2026 at 9:52 am
Blackburn with Darwen Council has named one of its gritters “Graham & Leanne’s Grit on the Side”, following a call on BBC Radio Lancashire to name a vehicle after the popular Bit on the Side podcast.
Filed under: Grit | Gritter | Gritter naming
Published on Friday 9 January 2026 at 3:08 pm
The Council’s Highways teams have been operating at peak capacity to keep roads safe and moving during the cold weather.
Published on Tuesday 6 January 2026 at 11:51 am
This month, BwD Leisure launches a brand-new fitness offer exclusively for 10–15-year-olds.
Following demand from parents to help keep their children and teenagers active in a safe and structured environment, Blackburn with Darwen borough council’s leisure team have designed a tailored programme specifically for those aged 10 and above, which will be available in all three leisure centres in the borough – Blackburn, Darwen and Witton, from Monday 12 January.
Published on Monday 22 December 2025 at 1:47 pm
In an operation undertaken by the council and Lancashire Constabulary, 12 taxi drivers have been reprimanded due to various concerns.
Published on Wednesday 17 December 2025 at 2:02 pm
The environmental crime team at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council have achieved three successful prosecutions recently, totalling almost £2000.
Filed under: council | Councillor Jim Smith | Crime | Darwen | environment | environmental crime
Published on Monday 15 December 2025 at 2:39 pm
Five premises were raided last week for illegal products by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s Trading Standards team.
Filed under: Blackburn | Citizens Advice | council | Councillor Jim Smith | illegal | trading standards
Published on Friday 12 December 2025 at 3:00 pm
Blackburn with Darwen Council has announced that it’s buying Jack’s Key Lodge to help safeguard its future.
Published on Friday 12 December 2025 at 10:54 am
In a multi-agency operation, 34 abandoned vehicles have been seized from an area of Blackburn.
On Wednesday 26 November, the Police, the DVSA and Blackburn with Darwen Council undertook a joint enforcement operation, called Road Ready Revamp, or Bin the Banger; to tackle non-roadworthy vehicles that had been left for an extended period of time on Walker Street, Walpole Street and Weir Street in Blackburn.
Filed under: Abandoned | Abandoned vehicles | Bin the Banger | council | Councillor Jim Smith | Councillor Quesir Mahmood | Operation | Police | Road Ready Revamp | vehicles
Published on Thursday 11 December 2025 at 4:25 pm
Over 800 electric vehicle charge sockets will begin to be installed in the borough from next year, following a successful bid for funding.
Filed under: Charging | Connected Kerb | council | Electric Vehicle | EV | funding | Government | LEVI Funding
Published on Tuesday 2 December 2025 at 11:21 am
A brand-new Darwen Community Fund has just launched offering local groups the opportunity to access support for projects that will help make a real difference to the town.
Published on Tuesday 11 November 2025 at 5:01 pm
A shop raided in Blackburn town centre as part of a national operation was found to have a considerable number of illicit products.
Filed under: Blackburn | Councillor Jim Smith | Crime | environment | National Crime Agency | NCA | Operation Machinize | public protection | trading standards
Published on Wednesday 5 November 2025 at 11:39 am
Darwen’s town centre, parks, open spaces, and young people could all benefit from almost £20m of new Government funding over the next 10 years.
Published on Wednesday 22 October 2025 at 10:40 am
The Arran Trail is the first of six active travel routes to be transformed and reopened in South East Blackburn.
Filed under: Arran Trail | cycling | walking
Published on Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 7:54 pm
A Planning Inspector has dismissed an appeal for land in Darwen to be used as a Gypsy caravan site.
Published on Friday 22 August 2025 at 10:28 am
A Blackburn businessman has been sentenced following a major operation that uncovered almost 40,000 illegal vapes and thousands of counterfeit products.
Filed under: Adams Global Ltd | Ayub Adam | Blackburn | council | Councillor Jim Smith | Counterfeit goods | Glenfield Business Park | Illegal vapes | Illicit | Police | trading standards | vapes
Published on Tuesday 19 August 2025 at 10:59 am
The council’s environmental crime team have secured another nine waste prosecutions for eight people, totalling almost £5,000.
Filed under: Councillor Jim Smith | environment | environmental crime | fly tipping | litter | prosecution | Recycling | waste
Published on Thursday 14 August 2025 at 3:38 pm
Primary school children in the borough have attended swimming lessons over 27,000 times in the past 12 months, with a huge focus given on water safety.
Filed under: Blackburn | children | Councillor Jim Smith | Councillor Julie Gunn | Darwen | leisure | Leisure centre | Pool | swimming | Swimming Lessons
Published on Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 1:30 pm
A judge has ruled that an interim injunction should be granted prohibiting any further works to land at Hall Moss Farm – close to Whitehall Park in Darwen.
Published on Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 11:17 am
If you’re part of a group of likeminded people who are interested in looking at alternative ways to generate energy, you can apply for a Community Energy Project!
Filed under: Blackburn | climate change | community | Community Project | Darwen | energy | Energy Project
Published on Thursday 17 July 2025 at 10:57 am
After warnings about the safety of some Labubu dolls from Trading Standards teams across the country, an investigation conducted in Blackburn with Darwen has raised similar concerns.
Published on Wednesday 16 July 2025 at 10:32 am
It’s game, set and match for works to the tennis courts and four new pickleball courts at Blackburn’s historic Corporation Park.
Published on Friday 11 July 2025 at 9:56 am
For weeks, onlookers have watched as a riot of botanical colour has emerged in the form of a striking new mural in Blackburn town centre.
Published on Tuesday 17 June 2025 at 10:00 am
A planning hearing is set to be held to determine an appeal around the use of land at Hall Moss Farm – close to Whitehall Park in Darwen.
Published on Tuesday 20 May 2025 at 2:09 pm
The extension at Pleasington Cemetery is to receive a burst of colour, thanks to a new idea that will see wildflowers bloom on graves very soon.
Filed under: Blackburn | Cemetery | council | Councillor Jim Smith | Councillor Quesir Mahmood | Crematorium | Darwen | graves | Pleasington | Pleasington Cemetery | Wildflowers
Published on Monday 19 May 2025 at 12:52 pm
Work has officially started on a landmark manufacturing and research development in Darwen, part of the ambitious £100m Darwen Town Deal.
Published on Thursday 8 May 2025 at 1:00 pm
Plans to transform Blackburn’s already super successful Making Rooms into the UK’s leading makerspace have officially been given the green light.
Published on Monday 28 April 2025 at 4:04 pm
Calder Street play area is set to benefit from £28,000 for repairs and upgrades, which will include brand new equipment.
Filed under: Bastwell | Calder Street | Councillor Shaukat Hussain | Daisyfield | Park | Play Area | playground
Published on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 5:42 pm
The main path through Darwen’s Sunnyhurst Woods is set to benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds of new investment as part of the £100m Darwen Town Deal.
Published on Tuesday 18 March 2025 at 2:42 pm
Next month, over 9,000 households in Blackburn with Darwen will begin having their food waste collected, ahead of a borough wide roll out next year.
Filed under: bin | bins | Collections | Councillor Jim Smith | councillor phil riley | environment | Food | food waste | Phil Riley | pilot | recycle | Recycling | refuse | Trial | Waste Collections
Published on Wednesday 12 March 2025 at 12:00 pm
Calling all Blackburn with Darwen cyclists! Sign up now to take part in Love to Ride’s ‘Ride Anywhere Week’ and you could be in with the chance of winning £1,000!
Published on Tuesday 11 March 2025 at 10:33 am
Due to safety concerns, an emergency order has today been submitted to fell the large tree in front of Darwen Town Hall.
Published on Monday 10 March 2025 at 12:19 pm
The Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and set a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Filed under: Climate | climate change | Local Plan | Planning
Published on Tuesday 11 February 2025 at 1:21 pm
A Planning Inspector has upheld an enforcement notice that we served on the landowners at Hall Moss Farm – close to Whitehall Park.
Published on Wednesday 5 February 2025 at 5:48 pm
Lancashire’s new combined county authority (CCA) has officially come into being.
The Statutory Instrument which enabled the formation of the new body passed through the final legislative process in Parliament late last week and has now been formerly signed by Jim McMahon OBE MP, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution.
Published on Wednesday 5 February 2025 at 11:35 am
Due to a reduction in air pollution, it’s been proposed that an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in Blackburn South and Lower Darwen is no longer needed.
Filed under: air pollution | air quality | Air Quality Management Area | AQMA | Blackamoor | Blackburn | Consultation | council | Councillor Jim Smith | Have your say | Lower Darwen
Published on Wednesday 22 January 2025 at 11:31 am
A brand-new Repair Space has just launched at The Making Rooms in Blackburn, aiming to tackle e-waste and promote digital inclusion.
Published on Friday 17 January 2025 at 3:44 pm
Following the distribution of the festive guide to bin collections and recycling, a winner has been announced for the £500 cash prize.
Filed under: Blackburn | BwD Recycle | CaSH | Coucillor Jim Smith | Darwen | recycle | Recycle BwD | Recycling | Suez | waste | winner
