The Community, Cultural, and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee of Lancashire Council met on Thursday, 24 September 2026. The committee reviewed the work of Trading Standards in supporting community safety, discussed the progress of the Civic Pride agenda, and confirmed the committee's work programme for the upcoming year.

Trading Standards Work on Supporting Community Safety

The committee received an update on the vital work undertaken by Lancashire's Trading Standards service in safeguarding the community. The service enforces numerous Acts of Parliament and regulations, playing a crucial role in tackling issues such as knife crime, underage sales, fraud, scams, and the disruption of organised criminal networks dealing in illicit tobacco and counterfeit goods.

Key achievements highlighted for the 2025/26 period included:

• Seizing over 963,000 illicit cigarettes and 13,890 illicit vapes.
• Responding to 477 rogue trader complaints and securing 187 target hardening visits to victims.
• Securing 7 offender convictions for rogue trader activity, resulting in jail terms and compensation orders totalling over £93,000 for vulnerable consumers.
• Conducting 344 test purchase attempts across various products, with an average failure rate of 21%.
• Working in partnership on operations such as 'Ce Ce' to disrupt the illicit tobacco economy and 'Sceptre' to tackle knife crime.

Members discussed the complexities of enforcement, particularly the distinction between county and district council responsibilities for business closures. It was clarified that Trading Standards provides intelligence to support closure orders, but the power to close premises rests with the police or district councils, often linked to anti-social behaviour legislation. The committee also heard about the Safe Trader Scheme, which registers around 400 tradesmen and aims to protect residents from rogue traders.

Concerns were raised about the focus of test purchasing, with a request for more data on the geographical distribution of test purchases and failure rates across different districts. The service committed to providing this data. The report also noted the ageing workforce within Trading Standards as a significant risk, with challenges in recruiting qualified professionals nationwide.

Civic Pride

The committee received an update on the Civic Pride agenda, an initiative launched following a motion in November 2025 to celebrate Lancashire's heritage, communities, and encourage resident participation. The Civic Pride Action Plan aims to foster a sense of belonging, trust, participation, and equity across the county.

Progress highlighted included:

• Extensive engagement with district, parish, and town councils, with presentations and newsletters distributed to over 220 organisations.
• The successful launch of the 'Pride of Lancashire Awards', which received 266 nominations and attracted £20,000 in sponsorship.
• The organisation of a countywide volunteering day on 8 October 2026, with over 200 volunteers expected to participate.
• The initiation of the 'Our Lancashire' Schools workshop to engage young people in improving their local communities.
• The development of a 'Service Finder' directory to help residents locate support groups and community organisations.

The definition of Civic Pride was explained as the positive feeling people have about their local community, town, or city, encouraging a sense of shared responsibility and collective identity. The county council's role is to complement and support existing local initiatives rather than replace them, focusing on amplifying the work of districts and parish councils.

Members discussed the financial framing of the initiative as cost neutral, with clarification that the eight officers working on the agenda are existing staff whose roles align with Civic Pride objectives, and that additional costs are met from existing budgets or sponsorship. The committee also explored how to incorporate animal charities and heritage sites into future awards and initiatives, with a commitment to consider these for future planning.

The committee was informed that a comprehensive assessment of outcomes and impact would be provided in an annual report in Spring 2027, utilising data from resident surveys, volunteering activity, and national measures like the Community Life Survey.

Community, Cultural, and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2026/27

The committee reviewed and confirmed its draft work programme for the 2026/27 municipal year. The programme includes planned scrutiny activities focusing on areas such as Trading Standards, Civic Pride, the council's approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI), workforce and people services, anti-social behaviour, and the Lancashire Community Safety Agreement. The work programme is an evolving document, allowing for the inclusion of emerging priorities.

The next meeting of the committee was scheduled for Thursday, 12 November 2026.