County asks for mayoral cash and powers – minus a mayor

Lancashire has asked the government whether it can have some of the powers and cash that come with a directly elected mayor even if the post itself is years away from being created.

- by Paul Faulkner

It comes after delays to elections for mayors in other parts of the country placed a question mark over when Lancashire might finally get one of its own.

The county appeared to have been on course to see a directly-elected mayor in May 2027.

That would be almost a year ahead of a separate shakeup that will see Lancashire's 15 main councils abolished and replaced with a handful of new local authorities.