Lancashire
North-west English county whose council, Reform-run since 2025, is ending its refugee resettlement role.
Lancashire County Council's Cabinet has authorised its lawyers to take legal steps over the paused July reorganisation decision, possibly a protective claim, Local Government Lawyer reported on 5 October 2026. the Court Deadline falls around 16 October.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What changes for Lancashire's refugees when the county council stops coordinating resettlement in 2027?
Timeline for Lancashire
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UK Local Elections 2026Background
Lancashire is a ceremonial county in north-west England. Its upper-tier authority, Lancashire County Council, serves about 1.2 million people across towns such as Burnley, Preston and Lancaster and a large rural area.
Reform UK has run the county council since the election of 1 May 2025, when it won 53 of the 84 seats. Lancashire and Essex are the party's two largest councils. Stephen Atkinson leads the council.
Under Reform it became the first council to announce, on 5 May 2026, that it would leave the national refugee resettlement scheme. It is also preparing to defend its position in court over English local government reorganisation.
The county council readies a protective claim
On 7 September 2026 ministers paused the July reorganisation decisions for 14 areas for a rapid review, without withdrawing them, so they still stand in law. A judicial review must be brought within three months: around 16 October for decisions dated 16 July.
Lancashire County Council's Cabinet has since authorised its lawyers to take "such legal steps as are considered necessary and proportionate". Local Government Lawyer reported on 5 October that this may include a protective claim the council would ask the Court to put on hold; none had been filed by then. The council leader, Stephen Atkinson, said Lancashire otherwise risked losing "the opportunity to challenge the July decision".
The county council quits refugee resettlement
On 5 May 2026, a year after Reform UK won the county council, its administration announced that Lancashire would withdraw from the UK Resettlement Scheme. The announcement came in a Cabinet member statement by Joshua Roberts, WHO said the money should support local residents and veterans, rather than a formal cabinet resolution.
Councils take part in resettlement voluntarily, and the Home Office can only reallocate places to councils that consent. On 3 September 2026 the Cabinet agreed that the county council would step back as the coordinating authority for refugee resettlement schemes in Lancashire, including the Afghan Resettlement Programme. Its administrative role ends no later than 31 March 2027.