Lytham Speaks: What You Told Us at the Annual Town Meeting

28th of May, 2026

On Wednesday evening, over 40 residents gathered at Lytham Institute for Lytham Town Council's first Annual Town Meeting — and what an evening it was.

The Annual Town Meeting is something a little different from our usual Council meetings. It belongs to you — the residents of Lytham — and it is one of the few occasions in local democracy where electors set the agenda. We were there to listen, and listen we did.

After a year of establishing ourselves, building our governance foundations, and delivering our first tangible projects, last night felt like something of a renewal of our mandate from the community. You heard what we have done, you told us what matters to you, and together we set a direction for the months ahead.

What we told you

The Chair, Cllr Suzanne Bramall, reflected on a year that has been challenging but productive — from the work on Liggard Brook (where the Environment Agency has now committed to getting the sluice gates working) to the ordering of speed indicator devices, a hugely successful Celebration of Volunteers Night in February, and the Council's first community grant, awarded to Lytham Community Workshop. The Clerk also confirmed that the Council has successfully passed its Year One internal audit, with external audit now underway.

What you told us

Residents raised a rich range of topics, and the Council has committed to discussing all of them at its next meeting on 10 June. The priorities you identified include:

Lytham Festival — residents want to see a greater community dividend from the festival, and stronger transparency about what currently comes back to the town. The Council will be seeking a meeting with festival representatives and has the 2028 contract renewal firmly in its sights.
Lytham Green — there was strong support for pursuing charitable trust status for the Green ahead of Local Government Reorganisation, to protect it for the community's long-term benefit.
Town centre cleanliness and pavements — residents are rightly frustrated by the condition of parts of the town centre. The Council is in active discussions with Fylde Borough Council about directing the remaining £700,000 regeneration fund towards meaningful improvements, and the idea of a Council lengthsman — a local handyperson to tackle the small jobs — will be discussed at the next meeting.
Disability access — there was clear and consistent feeling in the room that Lytham has fallen short for too long on accessible pavements, drop kerbs, and pedestrian areas. We heard you.
Coastal signage — concerns were raised about potentially misleading safety signs along the promenade. We will be taking this up with the responsible authority as a matter of urgency.
Mobile phone signal — particularly during festival periods, but also more generally. The Council will look at gathering evidence to build a proper case with Ofcom and others.
Volunteering and community connection — a volunteer network gathering is being planned for September, bringing together representatives from Lytham's 60-plus community groups.
Young people, the elderly, and those who are digitally excluded — residents rightly asked what the Council is doing to reach and support those who don't engage through social media. A communications focus group is being convened to address this.

In accordance with the rules governing the meeting, these priorities are not binding commitments of the Council at this point.

The Council will consider and discuss these priorities at their next and future meetings. This will lead to identification of what action steps are appropriate to take and to agree how to take these issues forward in a prioritised manner over this next municipal year.

Looking ahead

With a new Unitary Authority on the horizon, the next twelve months matter enormously. Last night reminded us why we are here — not to pass policies, but to serve the people of Lytham. The conversations in that room were proof, if any were needed, that this community cares deeply about its town and has plenty to say about its future.

We will report back on all of the items raised at the June meeting and beyond.

The draft minutes of the Annual Town Meeting will be published on our website shortly and will be presented for approval at the next Annual Town Meeting in spring 2027.