Lancashire Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme

The National Bus Strategy (Bus Back Better), published by Government in March 2021, sets out a high level of ambition for the improvement and development of bus services in England, to reverse the historic decline in patronage overall in England, and to provide the means for bus services to recover from the significant reductions in patronage as a result of the restrictions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the National Bus Strategy, Local Transport Authorities were required to produce a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and to choose to either develop an Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators (as defined in the Bus Services Act 2017) or pursue Bus Franchising.

Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) was established in February 2025. On 1 April 2026 it became the sole Local Transport Authority for the area covering Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council which are the LCCA's Constituent Councils. Lancashire Combined County Authority agreed to create an Enhanced Partnership (EP) on 6 November 2025.

Both the EP Plan and the EP Scheme have been prepared by Lancashire Combined County Authority, in consultation with the bus operators, under the Transport Act 2000 (c.38).

In accordance with Section 138G of the Transport Act 2000, Lancashire Combined County Authority gave notice on 13 April, that on the 1 April 2026 it formally made an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme. All operators of one or more of the Qualifying Local Bus Services, as set out in Appendix A of the Scheme, are required to sign up to the Enhanced Partnership.