The Cabinet of Lancashire County Council met on Wednesday, 15th April 2026, to discuss the Southport Inquiry, approve funding for school repairs and the Best Start Family Hubs programme, and appoint a representative to the Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership. The meeting also saw the deferral of a decision regarding accessible Nelson.

Southport Inquiry

The meeting began with a statement from the Leader of the County Council, Councillor Stephen Atkinson, regarding the publication of the Phase 1 report of the Independent Statutory Public Inquiry into the events leading up to the knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in July 2024. The Council expressed its deepest sympathies to the families of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alicia De Silva Aguirre, and Bebby King, and all those affected. Lancashire County Council acknowledged its role in the systematic shortcomings identified in the report and apologised for its failures. The Council confirmed its commitment to implementing all recommendations and highlighted that substantial changes to safeguarding practices have already been made since 2019. The report also noted that the current regulatory framework was not designed for such cases, and the Council will advocate for reforms, including a single lead agency for managing individuals who may pose a risk. A further paper will be presented at the next Cabinet meeting to discuss the inquiry's recommendations in more detail.

Best Start Family Hubs

The Cabinet approved the Best Start Family Hubs programme, aimed at providing young children with an early start in life and supporting parents. This initiative will establish 12 integrated hubs within the existing 34 family hubs across Lancashire. The programme will be supported by £347,000 in development grants and £7.1 million in delivery grants for the period 2026-2029. The funding is outcome-based, with a target of 73.8% of children reaching the expected standard by the end of reception year by 2028. The programme will focus on children aged 0-5 years, building on the successes of the previous Sure Start programme. Councillor Azhar Ali OBE welcomed the funding, noting its potential to make a significant difference, particularly in deprived areas and for families facing challenges such as child poverty and increasing pressure on budgets and school places. He also raised the importance of supporting migrant communities with English as a first language, and literacy and numeracy skills, suggesting that family hubs could play a role in this through partnerships with adult learning colleges.

Capital Strategy for Schools Condition-Led Investment Programme

The Cabinet approved the Capital Strategy for Schools Condition-Led Investment Programme for 2026-27. This programme will allocate school capital funding for high-priority building condition repairs across community, voluntary controlled, and maintained schools in Lancashire. The programme is funded by a Department for Education grant, with an expected allocation of approximately £14 million for the period. The approved list of school capital projects totals just under £14 million, including a 10% contingency. The Director of Growth and Property, in consultation with the Executive Director for Education and Children's Services and the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, will be authorised to make any necessary adjustments once the final funding settlement is confirmed.

Appointment to Outside Bodies: Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership CIC

The Cabinet approved the addition of the Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership Community Interest Company to the County Council's list of outside bodies. County Councillor Martyn Sutton was appointed as the council's representative to the partnership until the next set of county elections. This formalises an arrangement where a councillor previously attended meetings in an informal capacity.

Accessible Nelson - Forest Street and North Street Moving Orders

A decision on the Accessible Nelson - Forest Street and North Street Moving Orders was deferred. The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, stated that further work and justification were needed regarding the expense and advantages of the proposed scheme. He had physically inspected the area with Councillor Azhar Ali OBE and Councillor Iqbal, but still required more information before a decision could be made.

Other Business

The meeting also included the confirmation of the minutes from the previous meeting held on 5th March 2026. During this discussion, thanks were extended to County Councillor Ged Mirfin for his past contributions, and a welcome was extended to County Councillor Ella Worthington in her new role as Cabinet Member for Civic Pride. No questions for Cabinet were received. Two urgent decisions taken by the Leader of the County Council since the last meeting were noted for information. The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Tuesday, 19th May 2026. The meeting then moved into Part II, which was not open to the press and public.