The Lancashire Combined County Authority's Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday 29 September 2026. The committee received updates and discussed progress on the Lancashire Growth Plan and the development of the Local Transport Plan.

Lancashire Growth Plan Outcome Measures Report

The committee reviewed the first Lancashire Growth Plan Outcome Measures Report, which also serves as the initial output from the emerging Lancashire Data Observatory. The report indicated that while Lancashire is making positive strides in areas such as skills levels, business formation, digital connectivity, and tourism, significant challenges remain. Real economic growth has been modest, export performance has declined, and housing delivery has slowed. The report highlighted that the benefits of improvements in skills and connectivity are not yet universally translating into stronger productivity, employment growth, or improved living standards across the county.

County Councillor Ged Mirfin raised concerns about the data used for export performance, noting its lack of granularity. Mehmood Mulla, Skills and Economic Intelligence Manager, explained the limitations of the current data sets and welcomed suggestions for alternative sources. Councillor Brian Moore questioned who would be responsible for ensuring that red indicators turned green, to which it was responded that this is a collective responsibility across the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA). County Councillor Azhar Ali OBE highlighted persistent deprivation in certain boroughs and questioned the CCA's strategy to address these inequalities, as well as graduate retention. Matthew Tomlinson, Chief Operating Officer, acknowledged these concerns and noted that skills would be a thematic focus for future scrutiny.

The committee discussed the need for index-linking measures to account for inflation, with Mehmood Mulla confirming that this capability exists and could be visualised. Councillor Brian Taylor suggested that while the data provides a good start, the focus should shift to how the CCA is using this data to drive action and impact. The committee requested further insight into place-based variations and district-level analysis. The approach to annual reporting was deemed appropriate given the availability of underlying datasets.

Lancashire Local Transport Plan Implementation Plan Development

The committee also received an update on the development of Lancashire's Local Transport Plan (LTP) Implementation Plan for 2026-2030. Karen Cassar, Director of Transport, explained that the plan translates the long-term ambitions of the LTP Core Strategy into a practical programme of transport investment and delivery. The development process involved extensive engagement with constituent authorities, district councils, stakeholders, and the public, with approximately 1,800 consultation responses received.

County Councillor Aidy Riggott pointed out that the Skills Board was not listed in the consultation engagement, which Karen Cassar acknowledged as an oversight and committed to rectifying. County Councillor Azhar Ali OBE requested a copy of the full list of funded and unfunded schemes. Councillor Brian Taylor inquired about Karen Cassar's experience, to which she detailed her extensive background in both public and private sector transport roles. A supplementary question was raised regarding the delivery of the Cotton Parkway Station, with an update promised for the next meeting. Phil Riley, Chair of the Transport Advisory Board, highlighted the challenges of prioritising large, long-standing projects and the importance of delivering quick wins alongside strategic initiatives. He also raised concerns about national issues affecting power supply for infrastructure projects.

The committee discussed the need to ensure the Skills Board was formally consulted and that documentation of this engagement was clear. The committee also discussed the balance between large strategic projects and smaller, quicker schemes, with a consensus that both were important.

Other Matters

The committee also reviewed its Work Programme for 2026/27 and the Actions Tracker. A proposal was made to move the December meeting to January to better accommodate the discussion of the draft budget. The committee also reflected on the increasing depth of scrutiny in recent meetings, with members feeling more engaged in detailed discussions. County Councillor Ged Mirfin reiterated the importance of providing links to source material in reports.