Business voice needed now - It's time for change!

On the one hand, we have the move to a County Combined Authority
(CCA), with a mayor to take their seat eventually.

On the other, local government reorganisation (LGR) now also raises its head.

The Lancashire CCA is now a reality, it’s there in black and white, signed into existence by Westminster. Now we have to give it colour, passion, vibrancy, promise – and pitch to government a growth plan that screams potential waiting to be fulfilled, invested in and made real.

Meanwhile, LGR has been a near permanent obsession and debating point across Lancashire’s district for decades.

But it now has legs, or at least a timetable to some sort of conclusion.

The broad government ask is that we have only unitary authorities and that they each represent around 500,000 people which, by that measure, would suggest three for Lancashire.

But how many unitaries is the right number of authorities for us? What
combination of districts gives us economic strength, a cohesive local
voice, a natural restructure? How do we ensure we represent all of Lancashire’s disparate needs and can unitary leaders work cohesively with the Combined Authority Board?

These are the questions facing Lancashire now.

And for economic strength we need a powerful business voice in that discussion. We need to lift it away from the parochial to the unlocking
of potential.

It’s a huge opportunity to change Lancashire for the good but it
has to be done the right way.

Bring it on!