Paul Faulkner

Fylde and Wyre councils have blocked Blackpool’s proposal to name the replacement authority ‘Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Council’, leaving ‘Fylde Coast Council’ as the provisional name. Blackpool leader Lynn Williams argues that Blackpool’s international recognition would make the authority easier to identify, while Fylde and Wyre leaders say the Fylde Coast name accurately reflects the area and avoids concentrating funding or identity on the resort. The new unitary authority will replace Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre and Lancashire County Council in April 2028 as part of Lancashire’s wider reorganisation from 15 councils to four. The government is expected to confirm the names in legislation, although the new authority could later rename itself with a majority vote.