Throughout the examination process, Fylde Council set out clear, evidence-based objections about the scale of harm to Fylde’s countryside, the impact on local communities and the weaknesses in the applicants’ case. Many of these concerns were recognised by the Examining Authority, which recommended refusal. The Council remains firmly of the view that this cabling corridor represents an unacceptable and avoidable burden on Fylde.

Immediately following the announcement, the Council sought specialist external legal advice to explore steps to challenge the decision. The advice, now received, is clear and definitive: the legal threshold for challenge is not met, and any attempt to litigate would expose the Council, and therefore local taxpayers, to potentially severe and uncapped financial liabilities. Other individuals or bodies may be able to rely on legal and financial protections that are not available to local authorities such as Fylde Council.

Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, said: “This decision is a bitter disappointment for Fylde. Our representations persuaded the independent Planning Inspectorate to recommend that the application be refused. The Secretary of State has overridden that expert judgment, ignoring the harm to Fylde’s coast, countryside and people’s livelihoods. She ruled that expanding renewable energy provides ‘very special circumstances’ that outweigh the Green Belt damage and ‘all other harms’ caused by the project.

“We are angry, residents are angry and parish councils are angry. We wanted to fight the decision and explored every option but the legal advice is clear: a challenge by the Council would expose taxpayers to unlimited and potentially very substantial costs. Others with capped legal protections may still pursue a claim.”

The UK’s largest kite festival will once again transform our seafront, kicking off with a magical illuminated display on the Friday evening before two full days of breathtaking flying on Saturday and Sunday. World-class kite teams and talented flyers from around the globe will fill the skies above our beach with colour, while fairground rides and food and drink stalls along the promenade make it the perfect family day out.

Councillor Jayne Nixon, Lead Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture, said: “We genuinely can’t wait for next September! The Kite Festival is a fantastic event for the town and something truly unique to our area, bringing families together and showing off St Annes to visitors from far and wide. We’re so grateful for everyone’s support, from the flyers and our partners at SmileFactor10 to the residents and businesses who give everyone such a warm welcome every year – it wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Craig Harby from SmileFactor10 added: “Every year the kite community looks forward to coming to St Annes, and 2026 was another brilliant weekend. Seeing the beach packed with families and the sky full of kites from all over the world never gets old. We’re already working with flyers and teams on what’s coming in 2027, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the sand next September.”

The festival draws thousands of visitors to St Annes every year, giving a welcome boost to local shops, cafes and businesses and showcasing everything that makes our town so special. Announcing the dates now means that families, visitors and businesses can get planning early and make the most of the weekend.

For the latest updates as the festival approaches, visit: www.discoverfylde.co.uk/st-annes-international-kite-festival/

From grassroots clubs throwing open their doors to newcomers, to young athletes making their mark, this year’s nominees showcase the very best of community sport across the borough. The shortlist spans seven categories, celebrating everyone from dedicated volunteers who give up their weekends to schools inspiring the next generation to get moving.

Hosted by Fylde Council’s Health and Sports Development Team, the awards recognise the people and organisations who make sport welcoming, accessible and fun for residents of all ages and abilities. Nominations poured in from right across Fylde, with a record 348 entries received this year.

Familiar faces including Atletico Warton, Special Olympics Fylde and young achiever Lilly Miles return to the shortlist, joined by a fantastic mix of new names making a real difference in their communities. Alongside the shortlisted nominees, many more inspiring individuals, clubs and schools were put forward this year, and the Council would like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate someone.

The winners will be revealed at a celebration evening at the Inn on the Prom Hotel in St Annes next month, bringing finalists together to share in a year of local sporting achievement. All shortlisted nominees will be contacted soon with an invitation to the event.

Councillor Chris Dixon, Lead Member for Social Wellbeing, said: “Every week, right across Fylde, coaches, volunteers and clubs give their time to help people get active, build confidence and feel part of something special. These awards are our chance to say thank you.

“It has been inspiring to read about the difference our nominees are making, from young people achieving great things in their sport to groups helping residents look after their health and wellbeing.

“Congratulations to everyone who has made the shortlist. You are all fantastic ambassadors for sport in Fylde.”

The awards form part of the Council’s wider work to help residents lead healthier, more active lives, supporting clubs and community groups to grow and thrive.

Fylde Community Sports Awards 2026 shortlist:

Club of the Year

• Together We Can Do
• Atletico Warton
• Special Olympics Fylde

Coach of the Year

• Dan Hankinson
• Liam Castellas
• Peter Hamadi

Health & Wellbeing Award

• Atletico Warton
• Park View 4 U Run Group
• Blossoming Buds

Primary School of the Year

• Lytham Hall Park Primary School
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
• Mayfield Primary School

Secondary School of the Year

• Lytham St Annes High School
• Carr Hill High School

Volunteer of the Year

• James Thompson
• Jessica Ormerod
• David Hill

Young Achiever of the Year

• Lilly Miles
• Amelia Hatton
• Leah Ohlsson

The series kicks off at Lytham Institute on Friday 20 November and then visits St Annes United Reformed Church on Thursday 26 November.

Doors open at 6pm with the films starting at 6:30pm. Both evenings will finish at approximately 8pm. Entry is completely free and there’s no need to book, so simply turn up and enjoy. Each venue has space for around 80 people, so arriving early is recommended.

Each evening celebrates a different country, with a selection of films and a short introduction that brings their stories and perspectives to life. The evenings are primarily aimed at adults, with any age guidance confirmed once the film line-up is announced. It’s a relaxed and welcoming chance for neighbours to come together and enjoy something a little different on a dark autumn night.

To give everyone a real taste of each country, food will be available to buy on the night, including the traditional Ukrainian nalysnyky, a much-loved filled pancake.

Councillor Chris Dixon, Lead Member for Social Wellbeing, said: “There’s nothing quite like sharing a great film with your neighbours. These evenings are a lovely way to meet new people, try some delicious food and experience stories from around the world right here in Fylde. Everyone is welcome, so do come along and bring a friend.”

These films are all about bringing our community together and celebrating the many cultures that make Fylde such a vibrant place to live. Keep an eye on the Council’s Facebook page, where the full film line-up will be revealed soon. For more information, email community@fylde.gov.uk.

Phase 1 began on Monday 12 October for more than 10,200 households, with no changes to existing bin collections. The service is funded by a £1 million DEFRA grant and is being introduced in four phases, with Phase 2 starting in spring 2027.

The new collections are part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms, which aim to boost recycling rates and help England reach its target of recycling 65% of household waste by 2035. Instead of ending up in landfill, the food waste collected is processed through anaerobic digestion to generate renewable energy.

To make sure food waste is collected, outdoor caddies should be placed at the front of the property, nearest the road, by 7am on the usual collection day, with the handle locked in the upright position. This applies even if wheeled bins are usually collected from the rear of the property.

Councillor Michelle Morris, Lead Member for Customer and Operational Services, said: “What a fantastic first week. Thank you to every household that has put their caddy out – you’ve shown just how much difference small changes at home can make.

“As with any new service, there have been a few teething problems, and we know some residents have had issues with their caddies being collected. These have now been addressed, and we look forward to collecting even more next week as residents embrace the new service.

“Our team is out and about to help, so if you have any questions at all, please come and see us at one of our drop-in sessions.”

The food waste team will be at St Annes Town Hall to offer support and answer questions about the new service. There’s no need to book, just drop in:

• Wednesday 21 October, 9.00am to 1.00pm
• Thursday 29 October, 9.00am to 12.00pm
• Tuesday 3 November, 9.00am to 1.00pm
• Thursday 5 November, 9.00am to 12.00pm
• Wednesday 11 November, 9.00am to 12.00pm

For more information, visit www.fylde.gov.uk/foodwaste

Services are always well attended and will take place as follows:

St Annes: Assemble at the Town Hall at 10:25am. The parade will proceed to the memorial in Ashton Gardens at 10:38am, led by the Mayor and Mayoress of Fylde. Please note that as Garden Street is currently closed, the procession will return by the reverse route forming up on the main path out of Ashton Gardens.

Lytham: Gather at the Assembly Rooms at 10:30am, with the procession departing at 10:45am. The civic party will be led by the Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayoress.

Kirkham: Assemble on Orders Lane at 1:30pm and move off at 1:45pm. The Remembrance service will commence at the Cenotaph at 2:00pm, followed by refreshments at the Community Centre at approximately 2:45pm. Please note that after the service the procession back to the Community Centre will be in the same order and will return up Church Street, Poulton Street and through the passageway near Kirkham Bierhaus. It will not return up Barnfield as in previous years.

Wesham: Assemble at the War Memorial at 10:20am. The procession will move off at 10:40am. Following the service at the War Memorial, the Mayor and guests will make their way to the Community Centre on Church Road for refreshments.

Armistice Day Arrangements

The commemorations continue on Wednesday 11 November with a two-minute silence marking Armistice Day. The Mayor and Mayoress of Fylde will attend at Ashton Gardens, the Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayoress of Fylde at Lytham Cenotaph and Councillor Frank Andrews, Fylde’s Armed Forces Representative, along with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Kirkham at Kirkham Cenotaph, ensuring every community can mark this significant moment together.

Councillor Richard Redcliffe, Mayor of Fylde, said: “It’s a privilege to stand alongside our community as we honour those who gave so much for our freedom. These services offer a vital moment to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces, and I’d encourage everyone across Fylde to take part, whether at a service or through the two-minute silence, to ensure they are never forgotten.”

The boating lake, located on The Island site, has been part of the town’s identity for generations. Current work will establish what will be required to return it to a safe, attractive and sustainable facility capable of supporting a concession and enhancing the wider promenade.

At the same time, the Council is inviting expressions of interest from businesses, organisations and operators with ideas for alternative uses that could be a strong fit for The Island and complement the seafront’s visitor offer. Testing the market at this stage ensures that all viable options are understood before any final decision is made about the site’s future.

The Council emphasises that no decision has been made to move away from the boating lake. The restoration work is being actively costed, and any alternative proposals received will be considered alongside this work and assessed carefully against the long‑term needs of the seafront.

The site is not currently connected to drainage or other utility services, and interested parties will be responsible for investigating the availability and cost of any connections their proposal would require.

Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, said: “The boating lake is an important part of St Annes’ heritage, and we are working up detailed costings to understand what would be required to restore it as a high‑quality attraction for families. At the same time, it is sensible to test the market to see whether there are other ideas that could complement The Island and strengthen the seafront. This is about making a well‑informed decision that delivers the best long‑term outcome for residents, visitors and the town.”

Expressions of interest open at 12pm on Thursday 15 October and close at 12pm on Wednesday 4 November. Documents are available here, and all questions must be submitted through the portal’s messaging service.

The Council will consider all expressions of interest received once the deadline has passed.

Fly-tipping costs councils across England millions of pounds every year to clear up, draining money that could otherwise be spent on essential local services. Fylde is no exception: the Council cleared up 396 incidents in 2025 and has already dealt with more than 420 so far in 2026 – overtaking last year’s total with almost three months of the year still to go. 

The campaign calls on people in Fylde to protect themselves and their communities from falling for a #RubbishDeal – low-cost, unlicensed services offered using appealing ads on social media by organised waste criminals. Rogue waste traders hide in plain sight behind professional-looking adverts, ‘five-star’ reviews and tempting prices, making it difficult to tell them apart from legitimate operators. What they don’t tell you is where your rubbish could end up. 

Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight is helping residents know what to look out for and make simple checks before handing over their rubbish to avoid it being illegally dumped on streets, fields and public spaces. 

Fylde Council is supporting Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight with a local social media campaign, calling on households to take three simple steps to avoid a #RubbishDeal: 

1. Ask for a waste carrier licence 
2. Check the number on the Environment Agency’s public register at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers or call 0300 065 3000 
3. Check you’ll get a receipt 

Councillor Michelle Morris, Lead Member for Customer and Operational Services, said: “Fly-tipping takes a real toll on communities like ours. In Fylde, we’re dealing with everything from mattresses and furniture dumped on rural lanes to household rubbish left in local beauty spots, damaging the places people live in and care about and leaving our teams to clear up the mess. 

“Every fly-tip also comes at a cost. Last year our teams cleared up 396 incidents, and we’ve already passed that figure this year. Every one of those takes time and money that could be going into other local services, which is why stopping waste from being dumped in the first place matters so much. 

“Our teams work tirelessly to tackle the problem, but we need our community’s help to stop it at the source. No one wants to think that the person they’ve paid to take away an old sofa, mattress or pile of household rubbish could simply dump it somewhere else in their community. But rogue waste traders are making money from doing exactly that – leaving councils and local residents to deal with the consequences. 

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive Officer at Keep Britain Tidy, added: “Local authorities see first-hand the damage fly-tipping causes, working every day to clear illegally dumped waste and protect the places their communities value. Tackling the problem places huge demands on already stretched council teams, which is why we’re so pleased to have Fylde Council supporting Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight this year. 

“People hiring someone to take away their rubbish should be able to trust that it will be disposed of responsibly. But rogue waste traders are exploiting that trust, taking people’s money and then leaving their waste dumped in streets, fields and public spaces for communities and councils to deal with. 

“What makes this particularly difficult is that criminals can be surprisingly hard to spot. A convincing advert, good reviews and a cheap price can make an illegal operator look like a legitimate business, leaving people thinking they’re paying for their rubbish to be responsibly taken away when it could end up dumped in their own community. 

“Our message is simple: don’t fall for a #RubbishDeal. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” 

Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight will run from Monday 12 to Sunday 25 October, with local authorities across the country joining forces with Keep Britain Tidy to highlight the scale and impact of fly-tipping and educate residents on how to protect themselves and their communities. 

To report fly-tipping incidents, visit https://new.fylde.gov.uk/resident/bins-recycling-and-rubbish/fly-tipping/

As part of Fylde Council’s exciting new weekly food waste collection service, indoor and outdoor caddies will be hand-delivered to over 10,000 Phase 1 households from w/c Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October. Tucked inside ten of those deliveries will be a golden ticket, each one unlocking a brilliant local prize – from a Fairhaven Lake adventure day out and a paddleboarding lesson to Lytham Hall tours, a padel tennis session for four at Ace Padel, vouchers for Beurre Patisserie and Ribby Hall, as well as a free garden waste bin subscription, resident parking permit, Marks & Spencer food hamper and afternoon tea for two at Staining Lodge.

Each caddy will also contain everything residents need to get started – including caddy liners, details of when their service begins and a full service information leaflet. Full FAQs are available at www.fylde.gov.uk/foodwaste for anyone who wants to find out more ahead of their first collection.

The competition celebrates the launch of a service that will transform how Fylde residents manage food waste, diverting it from landfill to generate renewable energy through anaerobic digestion, all at no extra cost to households.

Councillor Michelle Morris, Lead Member for Customer and Operational Services, said: “The arrival of the first caddies on doorsteps is a genuinely exciting moment for Fylde, and the golden ticket competition is our way of celebrating that with our community. We can’t wait to hear who our lucky winners are, and to see residents across the borough embrace this positive step for our environment.”

Residents can check whether their household is included in Phase 1 using the postcode search tool at www.fylde.gov.uk/foodwaste. Pre-launch letters were delivered in July with further details. Any household that believes they should have received a caddy but hasn’t by Monday 12 October is asked to get in touch at recycle@fylde.gov.uk.

View the terms and conditions here.

The Prizes

Ten prizes are available, one per golden ticket. The prize applicable to each ticket is stated on the front of the ticket. Prizes are as follows:

• Fairhaven Lake adventure day out (adventure golf and pedalo for up to 4 people)
• Fairhaven Lake paddleboarding lesson (one hour for up to 4 people)
• Lytham Hall (self-guided tour for up to 4 people)
• 1 hour padel tennis for 4 people at Ace Padel Lytham St Annes (rackets and balls included)
• Afternoon tea for two at Staining Lodge (valid for 12 months)
• £20 Beurre Patisserie voucher
• Free garden waste bin subscription for 2027/28
• Fylde resident parking permit (valid for 12 months)
• £50 Ribby Hall voucher
• M&S food hamper

Where a prize is provided by a third-party venue, it is subject to that venue’s own booking terms and conditions, including availability. Fylde Council accepts no responsibility for changes to third-party prizes outside of its control.

How to Claim

To claim your prize, email communications@fylde.gov.uk with your name, address and a photograph of your golden ticket. Claims must be received by 11:59pm on Saturday 31 October. Claims received after this date will not be accepted and the prize will be forfeited.

Eligibility and Conditions

1. The competition is open to residents of the Fylde household to which the golden ticket was delivered. The ticket is only valid for the address to which it was delivered.
2. One prize per household. Only one golden ticket will be accepted per address.
3. The competition is not open to employees or family members of employees of Fylde Borough Council.
4. Claimants must be aged 18 or over.
5. Prizes are non-transferable, non-exchangeable, and no cash alternative will be offered.
6. Winners may be asked to provide proof of address before their prize is released.
7. The winner agrees to have their first name and general location (for example, Lytham or Kirkham) shared across Fylde Council’s communication channels upon collection of their prize, unless they request otherwise at the point of claiming.
8. Fylde Council reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition if circumstances beyond its control require it.
9. Fylde Council’s decision is final in all matters relating to the competition. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
10. Participation constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Data Protection

Personal information provided when claiming a prize will be used solely for the administration of this competition and prize fulfilment, in accordance with Fylde Council’s Privacy Policy. It will not be used for any other purpose without your consent.