How local are you?

Published 23 July 2026

Update: 15 September 2026

The proposed reorganisation of local government in Lancashire is currently paused while the Government reviews the plans.

The official announcement says the review followed updated legal advice and is intended to ensure the reorganisation programme is robust and aligned with the new Government’s priorities. The Government also said it had listened to concerns about the approach, scale and pace of reorganisation. View more info on UK Government website.

Originally published 23 July 2026

Proposals to reorganise local government in Lancashire have prompted discussion about identity, belonging and the names we use for the places where we live.

The proposed names for Lancashire’s new unitary councils — including North Lancashire, South Lancashire, East Lancashire and West Lancashire — have prompted plenty of discussion. Much of it has focused on identity, belonging and whether these new names replace the places people already know.

Try this instead.
How local are you?

If you’re on holiday abroad, you might say you’re from England.
In another part of the UK, you might say Lancashire.
In Manchester, perhaps Rossendale.
In Burnley, Rawtenstall.
Speaking to a neighbour, you might simply mention your village or street.

None of those answers is wrong.
They’re simply different levels of the same place.
That may explain why the proposed council names have prompted such strong reactions. Many people identify with their town, borough or county long before they think about the organisation that provides their local services.

A council is an organisation.
A place is an identity.
Rawtenstall remains Rawtenstall.
Rossendale remains Rossendale.
Lancashire remains Lancashire.

The council responsible for local government may change. The places themselves do not.
Perhaps that’s why this debate feels so personal. We don’t usually think of ourselves as belonging to a council.
We think of ourselves as belonging to a place.