Sarah Mcgee

Churchill’s, a new premium sports and cocktail bar inspired by Winston Churchill’s historical visits to Clitheroe’s Swan and Royal, is planned for a vacant underground unit at Swan Courtyard. Co-owners Liam Nuttall and Jack Wright intend to offer retro décor, Churchill memorabilia, a cigar lounge, themed cocktails and food supplied by the adjoining hotel. A planning application has been submitted to Ribble Valley Council, with refurbishment designed to retain the basement’s original features. The venue is expected to open to hotel guests and the public on September 18, subject to approval, and could create six full-time and six part-time jobs.

Damian and Vicky Cunliffe have taken over the Dog & Partridge pub in Baxenden to prevent it from closing and becoming boarded up. They plan to improve the venue through cleaning, a facelift, better pricing and service, and the introduction of a food menu. The brewery has committed £155,000 to a major refurbishment planned for the first half of next year, while local residents have welcomed the effort to restore the pub as a family-friendly community venue.

Construction of Aldi’s new store on Hyndburn Road in Accrington is progressing, with the branch expected to open later this year and create 10 jobs. It will replace the retailer’s smaller Argyle Street store. The development was first proposed in 2021 and approved in 2023 after planning delays, and no specific opening date has been announced. Construction hours and noise controls are in place to limit disruption to nearby residents.

Lancashire Police recorded 2,358 traffic offence reports and made 319 arrests during June and July as part of operations targeting dangerous and illegal driving. Officers also seized 398 vehicles for licensing or insurance violations and issued 316 warnings or seizures related to antisocial driving. Chief Inspector Jennings said the Roads Policing Unit would continue targeting drivers considered to pose the greatest risk to the public.

A 28-year-old man was arrested in Oswaldtwistle on suspicion of stealing a motor vehicle and failing to stop after police pursued a stolen silver Kia Ceed. The driver abandoned the car in an alleyway off Haworth Street before being traced to a nearby flat. Police seized the vehicle, and the suspect remained in custody.

A house fire on Old Worden Avenue in Buckshaw Village was attended by three fire engines from Leyland, Chorley and Bamber Bridge at around 2pm on August 11. The fire involved fence panels and spread to the property's fascia boards, a window and roof. Firefighters extinguished it using breathing apparatus and other specialist equipment, while the cause remains under investigation.

Pendle Council has approved plans to redevelop the vacant Grade II listed Langroyd Hall in Colne. The scheme will convert the former pub and restaurant into seven apartments and add 21 apartments, two semi-detached cottages and 39 parking spaces across the site. Conditions require highway improvements, drainage and flood-risk measures, construction within three years, and protection of mature trees. The plans aim to preserve views of the historic building and enhance its setting with landscaped gardens and a courtyard. The hall has stood vacant since 2018, following earlier redevelopment proposals, deterioration, an arson attack and a 2019 case involving the unlawful removal of roof slates.