Council News

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Phil Riley has officially opened new show homes at two Darwen developments, where buyers are already showing interest and first completions are expected next month.

The Council Leader and Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen will join support for Lancashire Mind’s Summer Solstice Walking Challenge at Witton Park Athletics Arena on Monday 22 June, with people invited to drop in and walk any distance during the day.

Blackburn Pride Festival returns on Saturday 20 June for its fifth year, with a parade from Cathedral Square, live performances, community stalls and entertainment outside the Town Hall until 6pm.

New figures show 78% of school trips in Blackburn with Darwen are now made actively, with walking making up more than half of journeys and car use falling sharply.

The first phase of overnight closures at Junction 5 of the M65 has finished almost six weeks ahead of schedule, after favourable weather and work on site meant the closures were no longer needed.

Blackburn with Darwen residents living with a terminal illness and already getting Council Tax Support because they are on a low income may now be able to get extra help with their bill under a new council scheme.

Flags will be raised at Blackburn and Darwen Town Halls next Monday as Blackburn with Darwen joins more than 400 councils nationwide to mark Armed Forces Day.

Residents across Blackburn with Darwen are being invited to have their say in six annual surveys covering everything from road and footpath condition to walking, cycling and public transport.

Hundreds of schoolchildren gave author and poet Michael Rosen a rapturous welcome at Blackburn with Darwen Children’s Literature Festival, as he appeared at a special event in the recently reopened Cotton Exchange.

A Blackburn couple who became Shared Lives carers in their twenties say people are often surprised to learn carers can be young, as they help a young man leaving foster care build an independent life.

People across Blackburn with Darwen are being urged to put forward the volunteers who go above and beyond, with the Community Volunteer Awards now open for nominations. The celebration returns to King George’s Hall in November.

Unpaid carers across Blackburn with Darwen are being urged to make time for themselves next week, with a packed programme of free events, wellbeing sessions and a celebration day during Carers Week.

Attendees, performers and organisers have described this year’s Mill Hill Family Festival as their ‘best ever’ after record crowds turned out at Mill Hill Park in Blackburn.

A Blackburn with Darwen scheme supporting families of children with SEND has been recognised nationally for the second year running, with Bethany Pegg named Best Newcomer at the Coram Parent Champions Awards 2026.

Apple Trees children’s home in Blackburn has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted for the 11th year running, with inspectors praising the warmth, care and progress of children who use the short break service.

Blackburn author and educator Christina Gabbitas has picked up a national special achievement award after using books, poetry and school workshops to help young people speak out about county lines exploitation and knife crime.

Volunteers from across Blackburn with Darwen will be recognised next week at a drop-in event outside Blackburn Town Hall, with certificates, refreshments and a line-up of workshops and a volunteer fair during Volunteers’ Week.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is joining a national coalition calling for tighter controls on gambling advertising, saying the move is part of its work to protect residents from gambling-related harms.

An outreach van is being used to bring vaccinations, health checks and prostate cancer screening conversations to people across Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire who may not usually use traditional health services.

Families in Blackburn with Darwen are being offered a new toilet training toolkit, after the Louie Says… approach was officially launched following a pilot that has been running since late summer 2025.

Michael Rosen, the author of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, will headline Blackburn with Darwen’s Children & Young People’s Literature Festival when it begins on June 8. The free festival runs until June 20 and will bring talks, activities and authors into libraries and schools across the borough.