Agenda and draft minutes

Standing item.

The Chair welcomed members to the meeting. On behalf of the authority, and via the CFO, he sent his thoughts and prayers to County Councillor A Ali who had given apologies for this meeting.

The Chair informed members of two firefighters from Lancashire who were deployed to Mozambique in January to support international flood rescue operations following storms and widespread flooding. They were mobilised as part of the UK’s International Search and Rescue Team, which is made up of specially trained firefighters who volunteer their time from Fire and Rescue Services across the country. 

The Chair remarked on the variety of incidents contained within the operational incidents of interest report within the agenda pack, noting that there were a number of serious road traffic collisions. He remarked that funding should reflect the variety of roles undertaken by the Fire Service.

The Chair announced that the Clerk and Monitoring Officer was leaving the role, with today being his last full authority meeting. He commenced the role in October 2015 and would be moving on to pastures new from 1 May 2026. On behalf of the authority, the Chair thanked the Clerk and Monitoring Officer for his Service over the past 10 years and wished him the best of luck in his new role. The Clerk and Monitoring Officer remarked that it had been an honour and a privilege to serve in the role and commented that there was a sense of community within the authority that he was grateful for.

Apologies were received from County Councillors N Alderson, A Ali and L Parker and Councillors F Jackson and S Sidat.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None received.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the CFA held on 12 January 2026 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

In response to a question from County Councillor E Worthington in relation to the wellbeing interactions provided across the Service, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) confirmed that the Service had an occupational health unit which provided support via nurses, doctors and psychologist. The Service also had a wellbeing unit which provided support following traumatic incidents, this included mindfulness, support dogs, anxiety support and discussion of thoughts and feelings after traumatic incidents.

In response to a question from County Councillor E Worthington in relation to how the Service worked with highways to address flooding, the ACFO confirmed that flooding reports often related to surface water collection on roads or rivers that had burst their banks. The Service worked with the Highways Agency to carry out prevention activities along with proactive response to incidents, this included effective communication to encourage road users not to drive through flood water.

The Chair thanked officers for their Water Safety presentation at the committee meeting.

County Councillor J Tetlow added that there had been continued improvement in relation to staff survey engagement which was a credit to the Communications Team and Leaders building trust. He added that there had been an increase in demand relating to wildfires which the committee would continue to scrutinise through the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). He commended Prevention Support Officer Paul Slee on his recent award in relation to Water Safety and advised members that the Performance Committee had requested reports be brought to the committee relating to battery fires, houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) and arson convictions.

The minutes were proposed by County Councillor E Worthington and seconded by County Councillor R Walsh.

Resolved: That the proceedings of the Performance Committee held on 3 December 2025 be noted.

County Councillor M Clifford thanked members, officers and external audit for their engagement at the Audit Committee, and noted the positives of questions raised and scrutiny. He drew members attention to the statement of accounts, risk register and two external audit recommendations contained within the minutes.

The minutes were proposed by County Councillor M Clifford and seconded by County Councillor J Ash.

Resolved: That the proceedings of the Audit Committee held on 11 December 2025 be noted.

County Councillor I Duxbury drew members attention to the following items contained within the minutes, Consultation Strategy, Blue Light Collaboration Board update, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) update, council tax precept mid-point consultation update and the Annual Service Plan.

The Chair added that in relation to the Blue Light Collaboration Board updates, he had written a paper and was keen to explore co-location between blue light Services and Lancashire County Council.

The minutes were proposed by County Councillor I Duxbury and seconded by County Councillor J Ash.

Resolved: That the proceedings of the Planning Committee held on 2 February 2026 be noted.

The Chief Fire Officer (CFO) presented the report to members. The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England (2018) set out the Government’s high-level expectations, priorities and objectives for Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) in England. Included within the framework was the requirement that all FRAs must provide assurance on financial, governance and operational matters.

The Statement of Assurance aimed to provide the required accountability and transparency to Lancashire communities and the Government that Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) continued to deliver efficient, effective value for money Services.

The statement sat alongside the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), Statement of Accounts, the Annual Governance Statement, the Annual Service Plan and Annual Progress Report. It detailed what measures were in place to assure that the Combined Fire Authority’s performance was efficient, economic, and effective and provided further evidence that LFRS continued to deliver under the expectations detailed within both the National Framework and its own Community Risk Management Plan.

The Clerk and Monitoring Officer added that HMICFRS would be focusing on governance at their next inspection, including the impact that the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) had on the Service and its performance. He noted that work was ongoing to review and update the authority’s constitution to ensure that arrangements were robust and resilient. The Chair added that the work of the Constitution Working Group was intensive.

County Councillor M Clifford emphasised the focus on governance and thanked the Fire Authority for the amount of continuous training he had received through Grant Thornton, the Services’ external auditors. Additionally, he thanked those involved in the Constitution Working Group and advised members that once the review was finalised the document would be brought to the full Fire Authority for approval.

The report was proposed by County Councillor M Clifford and Seconded by County Councillor L Hutchinson.

Resolved: That the Authority approved the Annual Statement of Assurance 2024?25 as presented and approved the signing of this by the Chair of the Authority and the Chief Fire Officer.

The Director of People and Development (DoPD) presented the report to members.

The report outlined a matter of governance related to the appeals and dismissals of statutory officers within Lancashire Combined Fire Authority.

In line with statutory requirements, clear processes must be established for the management of key statutory roles, namely, the Head of Paid Service (Chief Fire Officer), Section 151 Chief Finance Officer (Director of Corporate Services) and Clerk and Monitoring Officer. The importance of having robust and transparent procedures was underlined by recent national events highlighting the pressures and scrutiny associated with these senior posts and the risks of inadequate support or oversight.

It was proposed that matters of misconduct, relating to directors of the Fire Authority, other than the statutory officers, would be dealt with under the Service’s Disciplinary Procedure which clearly explained the process to be followed and the support which should be in place. An additional procedure would be established for dealing with matters relating to statutory officers, who had additional provisions relating to dismissal due to their statutory protection. These provisions required approval from the full Fire Authority and would include the involvement of an independent third-party in any proposed disciplinary investigations. The disciplinary procedure for dealing with issues of misconduct relating to statutory officers was attached at Appendix A of the report.

Further to the review of the Complaints Procedure by the Fire Authority 28 September 2010, as detailed in anecdotal non-constitutional operating procedures relating to the Appeals Committee October 2024, the role of the Appeals Committee was updated to remove reference to stage 3 complaints, but further to an administrative oversight the Terms of Reference was not updated. It was proposed to address this omission. In addition, it was proposed to amend the Appeals Committee Terms of Reference (TOR) in accordance with the new arrangements for dealing with issues of concern raised against directors including statutory officers.

County Councillor M Clifford noted that the Appeals TOR referenced attending appropriate training and asked that this be arranged.

The report was moved by County Councillor M Clifford and seconded by the Chair.

Resolved: That the Authority approved;

• The implementation of a new Disciplinary Procedure for dealing with matters of misconduct relating to Statutory Officers and agree that matters relating to other Executive Board members would be dealt with under Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) Disciplinary and Grievance procedures. 
• An amendment to the Appeals Committee Terms of Reference as detailed within the report.
• Amendments to be discussed with the Independent Persons in relation to their contracts to allow them to be involved in disciplinary matters for Statutory Officers. 

The Director of Corporate Services (DoCS) / Treasurer advised that appendices A to D in the Budget Report were linked, with changes in one impacting on the others: A) the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) set out the financial outlook and estimated borrowing over the next five years, B) the Capital Strategy set out major expenditure for investment within the Service (including the ten-year capital programme), C) the Reserves Strategy set out savings and how they were planned to be used over the next 5 years, and D) the Treasury Management Strategy set out investment, borrowing, repayment and how money was set aside to repay borrowing.

The DoCS presented the report that set out the Council Tax Precept and Budget for 2026/27 along with the associated appended documents.

The Authority was required to set a balanced budget and council tax precept for the next financial year by 1 March 2026. The Authority had to ensure it:

·         Considered the link between capital investment decisions and the revenue implications.

·         Considered the results of the Council Tax Precept Consultation.

·         Considered the Treasury Management implications of revenue and capital decisions.

·         Provided value for money.

·         Reflected best practice.

·         Ensured consistency between financial planning and pay policy.

The Budget and appended documents in the report formed the Service’s financial strategies which were part of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) strategic planning activity and governance framework which set out the direction of the Service and how it would achieve the aim of making Lancashire safer. These financial strategies were one of six core strategies that set out how LFRS, would provide Services in line with the following priorities in the five-year Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP):

·         Valuing our people.

·         Preventing fires.

·         Protecting people and property.

·         Responding to fire and other emergencies.

·         Delivering value for money.

Financial Context

At the time of the report, UK inflation (CPI) stood at 3.4% following a slight rise in December 2025. Looking ahead, leading public?sector forecasters, including the Office of Budget Responsibility and Bank of England, expected inflation to continue easing through 2026, moving closer to over 2% by the end of the year. Economic growth was forecast to remain modest but steady at around 1.2–1.4%, broadly in line with long?term trend levels. Overall, 2026 was expected to bring gradually improving conditions, with lower inflation helping stabilise household finances despite continuing subdued economic growth.

Nationally, the Fire and Rescue Service continued to face significant financial pressures driven by funding pressures, rising legislative requirements, environmental and societal changes, persistent inflationary pressures, particularly affecting major capital projects, and above?inflation pay awards, alongside increasingly complex demands on resources.

Funding

Funding for the fire sector had changed in the last 15 years. The 2008 banking crisis was followed by a period of austerity in the sector. As government grants fell sharply after 2010, the fire and rescue sector was forced to adapt through a combination of workforce, operational, and financial measures. Nationally, firefighter numbers were reduced significantly, with England losing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69-25/26

The current Member Champions and their areas of responsibility were:

·         Community Safety – County Councillor Andy Blake

·         Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – Councillor Salim Sidat

·         Health and Wellbeing – County Councillor Sohail Asghar

·         Road Safety – County Councillor Jordan Fox.

Reports relating to the activity of the Member Champions were provided on a regular basis to the Authority. This report related to activity for the period up to 22 February 2026.

Member Champions highlighted several details within the reports and expressed thanks to the officers who supported them in their roles. 

The Chair remarked that the Biker Down scheme was very popular within the Ribble Valley.

In response to a question from County Councillor P Buckley in relation to coordinating road safety across partners and the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), the ACFO confirmed that the focus of the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership (LRSP) was being reviewed in conjunction with partners at a strategic level to continue to drive performance and keep everyone safe on the roads of Lancashire.

The CFO added that the LRSP has been established for over 25 years but had recently undergone a review of responsibilities and funding. The LRSP covered the whole of Lancashire and used data to drive focus. He added that the Service worked with partners in line with the statutory duties to educate and protect road users. The Chair commented that there was previously a pan-Lancashire data group which had been disestablished and could be reestablished. He requested that a report be brought to Performance Committee in relation to road traffic collision hot spots. The CFO confirmed that this could be incorporated in the annual road safety report brought to the full CFA later in the year for visibility of all members of the Authority.

County Councillor E Worthington commented that she had serious concerns in relation to a number of rural roads in West Lancashire, one where somebody had lost their life.

Councillor J Hugo reminded those in attendance that when referring to local authority and highways involvement they should be mindful that the fire authority was made up of three constituent authorities.

County Councillor D Howarth remarked that he had not heard about the LRSP recently and it was useful to know it was still ongoing.

The report was proposed by County Councillor J Ash and seconded by Councillor Z Khan.

Resolved: That the Authority noted the report and acknowledged the work of the respective Champions.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) presented the report which summarised Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) prosecutions pertaining to fire safety offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005.

Members noted that there had been no sentencings since the previous meeting.

Four cases sat within the court system. The responsible person for two Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) premises,(located in Bacup and Darwen) pleaded guilty to breaches of the Fire Safety Order (FSO) on the 13 August 2025 at Preston Magistrates Court. A sentencing date for the 30 January 2026 at Preston Crown Court had been cancelled and the Service was awaiting a new date.

An NHS Trust and maintenance company were due to appear at Blackburn Magistrates Court on the 1 October 2025. The initial plea and case management hearing was heard on 15 December 2025, no pleas were given. A further plea and case management hearing would be heard at Preston Crown Court on 22 April 2026.

The responsible persons and a company were to appear at Blackburn Magistrates Court on the 18 February 2026 for breaches of the FSO relating to a nightclub venue.

Protection teams continue to investigate and build case files in relation to twelve other premises where offences were believed to have been committed under the FSO.

Members noted that there had been four arson convictions since the last report and another 15 deliberate fire investigations were ongoing within the criminal justice system.

Members noted a breakdown of arson prosecutions, the details of which had been requested at the last full authority meeting.

April 2023 to March 2024

16 arson related convictions resulting in: 8 custodial sentences totalling 48 yrs 2 months, 7 youth referral orders and 1 youth caution.

April 2024 to 2025

11 arson related convictions resulting in: 9 custodial sentences totalling 33 yrs 11months and 2 suspended sentences.

April 2025 to date

15 arson related convictions resulting in: 6 custodial sentences totalling 28 yrs 5 months, 4 suspended sentences, 2 detentions under the Mental Health Act, 2 cautions and 1 community order.

The ACFO advised that the request to provide details on the behaviours and motivation in relation to arson convictions was unable to be provided as the Service did not capture such data.

The report was proposed by County Councillor J Ash and seconded by Councillor Z Khan.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) presented the report which provided Members with information relating to operational incidents of note. As the operational period had been very busy, the report detailed only the larger deployments or more complex incidents. As a result, some incidents that Members had been made aware of locally, may not have formed part of the report. Full details of the following incidents were provided in the report:

• Commercial building fire in Burnley (17/11/25)
• Road Traffic Collision in Chorley (3/12/25)
• Animal Rescue in Preesall (12/12/25)
• Dwelling fire in Bispham (19/12/25)
• Road traffic Collision in Lancaster (20/12/25)
• Building Fire in Ormskirk (22/12/25)
• Road Traffic Collision in Blackburn (25/12/25)
• Animal Rescue in Lancaster (5/1/26)
• Dwelling Fire in Bamber Bridge (6/1/26)
• Commercial Building Fire in Bacup (21/1/26)

There were several complex incidents which included the use of modern capabilities such as drones and advanced skills and specialist rescue whilst maintaining capability across the county.

County Councillor M Ritson remarked that there has been a number of serious incidents in the Bacup area, he thanked the Service for its response to these incidents. The ACFO added that there had been a lot of warning and informing messaging completed by the communications team to keep residents informed.

Councillor J Hugo remarked that she had felt privileged to attend a commendation event in Blackpool following a serious fire in Blackpool in July 2024. Following the event the firefighters involved and the CFO had been invited to attend the Mayors Parlour at Blackpool. The CFO expressed his thanks in relation to this and remarked that the firefighters involved had enjoyed the event and felt very privileged to attend. The CFO would write formally to thank the Mayor for hosting colleagues.

County Councillor D Howarth commented that a number of incidents appeared to have been caused by carelessness.

The Chair requested that a report be taken to Performance Committee on incidents of interest over the past few years and to understand trends. The CFO highlighted that this information was included in the annual refresh of the strategic assessment of risk which came to the Authority and would also be used to inform the forthcoming Service review which would undergo scrutiny by members as a matter of course.

County Councillor I Duxbury proposed the report and County Councillor E Worthington seconded the report.

Resolved: That the Authority noted the report.

Standing item.

The Clerk and Monitoring Officer confirmed that there had been no complaints since the last meeting.

The Chair suggested that consideration be given to removing this as a standing item and only listing the item on the agenda should there be any complaints to note. The Clerk and Monitoring Officer confirmed that this was a historical item and as part of the review of the constitution, going forward, any complaints would be reported into the Audit Committee.

It was noted that the member champion report agenda item would be amended to incorporate feedback from members at future meetings, and that this would be made clearer within the report title going forward.

County Councillor A Riggott proposed the removal of member complaints as a standing agenda item, this was seconded by County Councillor P Buckley.

Resolved: That the current position be noted and member complaints be removed as a standing item on the agenda, with any complaints to be reported to Audit Committee.

The next meeting of the Authority will be held on Monday 27 April 2026 at 1030 hours at Washington Hall, Leadership and Development Centre, Euxton.

The next meeting of the Authority would be held on Monday 27 April at 10:30am at the Training Centre, Euxton.

The Authority is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, they consider that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

Resolved: That the press and members of the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

(Paragraphs 1 and 3)

The Monitoring Officer and Deputy Monitoring Officer recused themselves from the meeting.

The Director of People and Development (DoPD) presented the report to member in relation to the appointment of the Monitoring Officer.

Resolved: That the authority appointed the Deputy Monitoring Officer (Legal Services and Standards Manager) as Monitoring Officer.

(Paragraphs 3 and 4)

The Chief Fire Officer presented the report to members in relation to the Services business continuity planning activities.

Resolved: That the authority noted the report.