Weekly overnight closures at M65 Junction 5 are due to begin on 11 May and are expected to run until September as part of the ongoing improvement scheme.
Private renting in England is set for its biggest shake-up in more than 30 years, with the new Renters’ Rights Act starting on 1 May 2026.
Val Ormerod has finished work at Blackburn with Darwen Council after nearly 55 years — a career that began when she walked into the Old Town Hall straight from school in 1971 and asked for a job.
Blackburn with Darwen households that rely on oil for heating may be able to get a one-off £300 payment to help with refill costs. The council is taking applications from eligible residents who are off the gas grid and struggling to pay.
St Aidan’s short breaks service in Blackburn has kept its ‘good’ rating after a full Care Quality Commission inspection in February and March, with inspectors praising the kindness, compassion and welcome shown to guests.
With two and a half weeks to go until election day, Blackburn with Darwen voters are being warned they will need photo ID to vote in person — and those without one can still apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate until 28 April.
A 13-metre table made from ancient fossilised oak older than the pyramids is heading to Blackburn Cathedral, where it will be on display for 12 months as part of the cathedral’s centenary year.
A judge has ordered a Traveller family to leave an unlawful encampment in Darwen and put the land back to its original state, after a two-day hearing at Liverpool County Court.
Darwen Library Theatre is in line for an almost £1m cash injection, with the money set to help finish upgrades to one of the borough’s best-loved venues.
Anyone wanting to vote in Blackburn with Darwen’s local elections on Thursday 7 May has until Monday 20 April to register at their current address if they are not already on the electoral roll.
Blackburn Cathedral has unveiled 12 new centenary vestments designed by British textile artist Margo Selby, with clergy from across the diocese processing them into the Nave before they were blessed by the Bishop of Blackburn.
The council’s Public Health team has relaunched its Ageing Well work, with a focus on helping residents aged 50 and over stay active, connected and independent.
Blackburn’s Yaqoob Hussain MBE is heading to Portugal to officiate at the Porto Box Cup, taking more than 50 years of boxing experience onto the international stage.
Work is due to begin on the final phase of the Griffin housing regeneration scheme in Blackburn, bringing 80 new homes to the area, including privately owned and affordable properties.
Around 1,350 students took part in a Blackburn with Darwen event aimed at helping young people spot exploitation, know where to get help and talk openly about the pressures they face.
Fourteen people from Blackburn and across Lancashire have been appointed as Honorary Canons at Blackburn Cathedral, with the new group bringing experience from parish ministry, education, architecture and ecumenical work.
A Darwen singing project that has been building confidence and wellbeing since last year is set to expand into Blackburn with weekly sessions for new parents and families at Babyzone in Blackburn Youth Zone.
A new youth provision at Audley & Queen’s Park Children’s Centre is nearly finished, as part of almost £10m of investment in facilities for young people across Blackburn with Darwen.
A free new toolkit teaching primary-age children what to do in an emergency is being rolled out across Lancashire after being tested with help from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn.
Train passengers using Blackburn and Darwen routes are being told services have become more reliable, with Northern reporting fewer cancellations and a return of more four-carriage trains on key East Lancashire lines.
Mill Hill Football Club is set for £150,000 of ground improvements at Waterfall Street after £125,000 was secured through the Government’s Local Regeneration Fund, topped up by £25,000 from the club itself.
Twelve projects across Darwen are set to receive more than £270,000 in the first round of the new Darwen Community Fund, with money going to community venues, youth work, sport, heritage and live music.
People across Blackburn with Darwen are being asked to fill in a housing survey that will help decide what kinds of homes the borough needs in the years ahead.
CCTV footage shows someone throwing bedroom furniture over a fence onto private property in Blackburn. The Council is asking: do you recognise them?
Blackburn with Darwen’s council elections are back on after the Government reversed plans to postpone 30 local polls. Critics say ministers were “running scared.” Was the original cancellation justified — or undemocratic?
Twenty taxi and private hire vehicles were stopped and inspected during a late-night joint operation by Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire Police, with penalty points issued to five drivers.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is inviting people to a recruitment open evening focused on apprenticeships, graduate roles and entry-level opportunities.
Blackburn Empire Theatre’s volunteers have been named Group of the Year at the 2025 Community Volunteer Awards, honouring more than two decades of dedication to local arts and culture.
A £20 million Pride in Place plan has been unveiled for Darwen, setting out priorities for investment in the town centre, parks, skills, and community projects over the next decade.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has clarified that it has no involvement in any plans to change the use of the Islington Hotel and has not been informed of any proposals to repurpose it for asylum accommodation.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has moved to quash rumours circulating on social media about the future of the former Gate Bar and Grill on Livesey Branch Road. The Council has
Plans are underway that could bring the biggest shake-up to Blackburn with Darwen’s local government in over 50 years — potentially ending its status as an independent council and merging it into a much larger East Lancashire authority. Residents, businesses and community groups are now being urged to have their say before final proposals are submitted in November.
More than 1,500 people have shared their ideas for the future of Corporation Park’s Conservatory — with the most popular choice being to restore it as a botanical space, complete with exotic plants and butterflies.
A huge new housing development is officially moving forward in Blackburn, with the first stage of ground investigation works now underway on land earmarked for more than 1,500 new homes.
Blackburn with Darwen is saying goodbye to glow and hello to reflection. As part of a £630,000 council-funded upgrade, 554 of the borough’s traffic bollards are being switched from energy-hungry illuminated units to low-maintenance reflective ones—saving cash, cutting emissions, and giving highways a cleaner look.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has issued a strong warning to waste offenders as another round of prosecutions lands local residents with criminal records and thousands in fines.
