Location

Central Lancashire consists of the administrative areas of Preston City Council and the two adjoining authorities of South Ribble Borough Council and Chorley Borough Council. It is located at the heart of Lancashire in the NW of England, and has a combined population of over 340,000.

Preston is the largest urban area with suburbs that spread to the south of the river Ribble, further south are the free standing market towns of Leyland and Chorley flanked by smaller former mill townships and rural villages.

The area is also situated at the hub of north-south communication links. The M6 motorway connects all three local authority areas as does the West Coast mainline railway