Lytham Town Council writes to County Council over dangerous Clifton Street pavements
25th of September, 2026
Friday 25th September 2026
If you've walked along Clifton Street recently, you'll know the problem: paving lifted and cracked around the trees, uneven surfaces, and dropped kerbs that don't line up.
For people with pushchairs, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or anyone who's simply not looking down at exactly the right moment, it's a trip waiting to happen.
It isn't new, but it isn't going away either
Many of the paving problems on Clifton Street trace back to the mature London Plane trees, planted in the late 1980s. Their roots have been pushing up the pavement for years.
In June 2025, following a public campaign and expert advice that the roots were too large to prune safely, Fylde Council confirmed the trees would be retained. You can read Fylde's statement on that decision here: Fylde Council to Retain Clifton Street Trees Following Public Support
We support keeping the trees.
But retaining them means the root-related paving damage isn't going away on its own, and we think the safety of the pavements needs to be treated as the priority it is.
How this reached us
Residents raised the state of the high street at our Annual Town Meeting in May, echoing concerns we'd already heard on numerous occasions. Town Councillor Hilary Warburton and our Town Clerk, together with Borough Councillors for Fylde West, carried out our own street survey in August to pin down exactly where the worst problem areas are.
On 27th August, we wrote to Fylde Council setting out what we'd found and asking for the pavements to be treated as a priority for any available town centre improvement funding.
Fylde Council replied confirming that responsibility for the condition of the footways, dropped kerbs, accessibility and trip hazards on Clifton Street sits with Lancashire County Council, as the Highway Authority.
What we've done since
We've now written directly to Lancashire County Council, addressed to the relevant County Councillors with responsibility for highways in our area.
We've set out the specific hazards we have identified, supported by photographs, and asked the County Council to inspect the footways, confirm what's being done about the recurring root damage, and give us a timescale for any repairs.
County Councillors will understandably need to consult with their officers before they can reply in detail, and we don't expect an instant answer. We've asked for a response within 14 days, and we'll share what we're told, as and when we hear back.
Report a hazard yourself
If you notice an uneven or unsafe pavement anywhere on Clifton Street, or elsewhere in Lytham, please report it directly to Lancashire County Council as well:
- Report a Highways Fault — the County Council's general highways reporting tool
- Tripping Hazard - Love Clean Streets — for reporting a specific trip hazard
The more reports the County Council receives, the harder the problem is to overlook.
In addition, the Love Clean Streets applications issues to be mapped.
We'll keep pressing on this and will update you when we hear back.
#Lytham #Fylde #SaferLytham #WorkingForTheCommunity