The Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee of Lancashire County Council met on Thursday, 29 January 2026, to discuss the Get Lancashire Working programme and the council's work programme for 2025/26. Key decisions included noting the progress of the Connect to Work programme, which aims to boost employment rates, and considering how to address the allocation of local transport grants.

Get Lancashire Working

The committee received a report outlining the development of the Get Lancashire Working initiative, a partnership between Lancashire County Council, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, and the Department for Work and Pensions. The programme aims to boost employment rates and reverse the trend of economic inactivity. A significant part of this initiative is the Connect to Work programme, a large-scale supported employment scheme that launched in the summer of 2025.

Dan Dixon, Programme Manager for Supported Employment, and Linda Ferguson from the Enablement and Employment Team, presented the report. They explained that Connect to Work is funded until March and is a shift from previous employment programmes. The programme aims to support 11,000 participants over five years, with an expectation that at least 50% will achieve sustained employment. The total forecast cost for the programme in Lancashire is approximately £38.8 million, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Councillor Mr Chris Snow raised concerns about the government's 80% employment target, suggesting it was unambitious and highlighting specific issues with NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in areas like Chorley and South Ribble. He stressed the importance of addressing these specific problems rather than solely focusing on the national target.

Councillor Paul Stubbins inquired about the scaling up of the programme and the number of service providers involved, seeking an overview of how the programme was progressing towards its ambitions. Councillor Brian Moore, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Growth, apologised for his late arrival and clarified that the £38.8 million funding comes from the government, and the 80% employment target is a national ambition.

Lydia Ferguson, Manager for the Employment Support Service and Enablement Service, provided further detail on the council's role in delivering Connect to Work through the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) model. She highlighted the success of the previous Local Supported Employment (LSE) DWP contract, where 47% of referrals gained employment with an 85.7% retention rate. The team is focused on supporting adults with disabilities into sustainable employment, emphasizing finding the right job for the right person.

The discussion also touched upon the challenges of reaching small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with information about the programme, the impact of the benefit system on employment aspirations, and the need for practical examples of how the programme helps individuals. Councillor David Shaw noted that many issues discussed, such as the benefit system and mental health, were national policy matters. Councillor David Whipp questioned whether mental health was overdiagnosed.

Councillor Moore also provided broader context on economic development, stressing the importance of businesses and innovation, and how Connect to Work fits into a larger economic strategy.

Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2025/26

The committee reviewed its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. A key point of discussion was the allocation of Local Transport Grants for 2025/26, with £15 million in unallocated capital grant funding approved in September 2025. There was considerable debate about the lack of clarity surrounding this funding and the potential for it to be lost if not allocated and spent before the end of the financial year.

Councillor Paul Stubbins expressed concern that the £15 million remained unallocated, representing a lost opportunity. He questioned whether the money was being used to compensate for overspends in other areas and urged the committee to insist on receiving a clear answer regarding its intended use. Councillor Mr Chris Snow echoed these concerns, highlighting the need for investment in rural bus services and questioning the lack of transparency.

The committee discussed three options for proceeding with the local transport grants: waiting for further information, treating it as a reserve item, or removing it from the work programme. It was agreed that the committee would push for more information, with a deadline of 2 March 2026 for it to be included in the March meeting's report.

The committee also considered the Growth Plan, Culture and Tourism Strategy, and the Lancashire Skills and Employment Framework. It was noted that Lancashire does not have a single, combined culture and tourism strategy, but rather separate strategies for cultural services, cultural investment, and tourism growth. The cultural element of the request was noted as falling under the remit of the Culture and Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee, while the tourism strategy is being developed by the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) and is expected to be completed by the end of Q3. The committee agreed that it would be more beneficial to scrutinise the new tourism strategy once it is released and to move the tourism element of the review into the 2026-27 work programme.

The committee also noted the formal written responses from Cabinet Members regarding the review of the TAMP (Transport Asset Management Plan) and Public Rights of Way.

The next meeting of the Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee was scheduled for Thursday, 19 March 2026.