West Lancashire Borough Council

What West Lancashire Borough Council does

West Lancashire Borough Council is a UK local government authority serving the borough of West Lancashire in Lancashire, England, operating under a committee system of governance since May 2024 with 45 elected councillors providing democratic oversight. The council delivers statutory local government services including council tax collection, planning permissions, housing allocation and management, refuse and recycling collection, business rates, licensing, benefits administration, leisure facilities, and environmental protection to borough residents and businesses.

The council's core digital product is a ServiceNow-powered Self Service Portal (portal.westlancs.gov.uk) providing access to over 150 council services 24/7, complemented by two Customer Service Points in Ormskirk and Skelmersdale, telephone services (01695 577177), and emergency out-of-hours support. Supporting technology includes Civica EPay for payment processing, Egress for secure email encryption, Reach Deck for accessibility support, Google Analytics for website analytics, and AddThis for social sharing. The council operates subsidiaries including Tawd Valley Developments (housing development) and Let's Talk West Lancashire (digital engagement platform). Citizen Survey 2024 data shows 79% resident satisfaction with the local area and 89% satisfaction with refuse collection, though satisfaction with council operations declined from 74% (2022) to 67% (2024).

The council's business model is funded primarily through central government grants and statutory fees, with a 2026-27 day-to-day services budget of £65.515m funded by £53.153m from grants, rents, interest, fees, and charges, plus a £10.362m council tax requirement. Council Tax for a Band D property is £245.71 per year (£4.73 per week), representing approximately 10.1% of the total council tax bill that also includes Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, and Lancashire Constabulary precepts. The council is pursuing an Organisational Review delivering £1.4m savings through staffing restructure, with £1m further planned through income generation and efficiencies including the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer. Key strategic initiatives include the £20m Pride in Place regeneration in Digmoor, Skelmersdale, £800k leisure facilities enhancement, and Local Government Reorganisation exploration with Chorley and South Ribble councils.

Name

West Lancashire Borough Council

Legal name

West Lancashire Borough Council

Website

https://westlancs.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

West Lancashire Borough Council is a UK local government authority delivering statutory services including council tax, housing, planning, waste collection, and leisure facilities to borough residents and businesses, funded by government grants and council tax, and operating via a ServiceNow-powered self-service portal with 150+ services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Other General Government Support (92119), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Public Works / In-House Municipal Collection Operations (EUAIAAAF)

Keywords

• Municipal services
• Local government
• Council tax administration
• Waste collection services
• Housing management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ormskirk

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary local taxation from residents; Council Tax requirement of £10.362m for 2026-27; Band D property charge of £245.71 per year (£4.73 per week); Represents approximately 10.1% of total council tax bill
2. Government Grants and Funding: Central government grants and funding; Total day-to-day services spending of £65.515m in 2026-27 funded by £53.153m income from grants, rents, interest, fees, and charges
3. Fees and Charges: Income from fees for services including planning applications, licensing, leisure facilities, parking, and housing rents
4. Business Rates: Collection of Business Rates with efficiency improvements; Changes in business rates determined by government rules and uplifted by inflation
5. Council House Rents: Rental income from council housing stock; Part of income generation strategy to achieve financial sustainability
6. Cookie-based Analytics: Uses cookies (Google Analytics, AddThis) to gather visitor data and improve website services; session cookies and tracking cookies for website optimization

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

West Lancashire Borough Council is a local government authority providing statutory municipal services to residents and businesses within the West Lancashire borough, including council tax administration, housing allocation and management, refuse and recycling collection, planning applications, leisure and recreation facilities, benefits administration, and licensing. Services are delivered through a digital Self Service Portal (150+ online transactions 24/7), two customer service points in Ormskirk and Skelmersdale, telephone services, and emergency out-of-hours coverage.

Product overview

West Lancashire Borough Council's digital offering is a unified citizen services platform centred on the Self Service Portal, which provides access to over 150 council services online 24/7. The platform is complemented by specialised sub-services for planning applications, council tax, housing management, and refuse/recycling collections. These integrated modules share a common ServiceNow-powered infrastructure and are accessible through both the main website and dedicated portals, allowing residents to manage payments, report issues, and access personalised information from a single account.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self Service Portal Online customer portal allowing West Lancashire residents to access over 150 council services 24/7, including reporting issues, making payments, requesting services, and tracking enquiries. Built on ServiceNow infrastructure and accessible to all residents.
• Online Planning Applications Service Digital service for searching, viewing, commenting on, and submitting planning applications and building regulations submissions. Used by property developers, residents, and businesses within the West Lancashire borough.
• Council Tax Services Online system for paying council tax, reporting changes of circumstances, and accessing council tax support schemes. Band D charge of £245.71 per year for 2026-27 with annual billing across all property bands.
• Housing Services Comprehensive housing management offering including council house repairs reporting, rent payments, housing register applications, and tenancy support. Achieved top grade for Consumer Standards from the Housing Regulator in 2025.
• Refuse and Recycling Collection Services Online tools and operational service for finding collection days, reporting missed collections, requesting new bins, booking bulky waste collections, and subscribing to garden waste collections. Achieved 89% resident satisfaction in the 2024 Citizen Survey.
• Your West Lancashire Personalised Information Portal Personalised information portal allowing residents to view details about their specific property, local services, and neighbourhood information by entering their address or postcode.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% of residents satisfied with local area as a place to live
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lancashire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLancashire County Council provides complementary services in West Lancashire including road repairs, recycling centres, library services, schools, social care, and household waste recycling centres. The two councils work together on combined authority exploration and local government reorganisation.
• Lancashire ConstabularycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint neighbourhood safety initiatives; Council and Police collaboration on community safety and anti-social behaviour prevention.
• Lancashire Fire and Rescue ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the total council tax calculation alongside Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Constabulary; Collaborative emergency response.
• One West LancscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing together public, private, and community sectors to improve health, social, economic, educational, and environmental wellbeing of West Lancashire.
• West Lancashire Council for Voluntary Services (WLCVS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with voluntary sector organization to support community engagement and local service delivery.
• Safer LancashirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for reporting and addressing prejudice and hate crimes related to protected characteristics.
• Edge Hill UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on innovation and growth initiatives; Welcome Week activities; Joint programs for local business development.
• University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to drive forward innovation and growth in local business through collaborative programs.
• Dogs TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on responsible dog ownership campaign at Beacon Country Park including dog waste bagging initiatives.
• Keep Britain TidyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in dog waste management campaigns and environmental improvement initiatives.
• Chorley Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint response to Government's Local Government Reorganisation decision; Three councils (Chorley, South Ribble, West Lancashire) working together on reorganisation.
• South Ribble Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint response to Government's Local Government Reorganisation decision; Partnership for shared service delivery.
• The Nest ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment and skills support programme operating in West Lancashire.
• WorkWell ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth and employment support service helping people with health conditions enter or stay in work.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Preston City Council: Adjacent Lancashire council offering the same mix of statutory borough services (council tax, housing, waste, planning, leisure). Comparable in governance model and digital service maturity, making it a structural peer within Lancashire.
• Chorley Borough Council: Neighbouring Lancashire borough council partnering with West Lancashire on Local Government Reorganisation response. Closely comparable in scale, service scope (council tax, housing, waste, planning), and demographic profile.
• Lancaster City Council: Another Lancashire district-level authority providing council tax, housing, waste, and planning services. Similar committee governance experience and reorganisation exposure make it a relevant operational peer.
• South Ribble Borough Council: Third council in the joint West Lancashire / Chorley / South Ribble reorganisation partnership. Similar borough-level statutory service mix and budget scale, serving as a directly comparable peer for service delivery and reorganisation outcomes.
• Wyre Borough Council: Lancashire borough council with comparable rural-urban mix and statutory service portfolio. Useful benchmark for council tax yield per dwelling, digital adoption rates, and satisfaction metrics in similar demographic catchments.

Others

• ServiceNow: Powers the Self Service Portal at portal.westlancs.gov.uk. Adjacent enabling platform used across many UK councils; informs the council's digital service delivery model.
• Civica UK: Provider of the council's EPay payments platform and a dominant supplier of software to UK local authorities. Relevant as an enabling technology peer shaping the council's digital service stack.
• Keep Britain Tidy: Partner awarding Green Flag status to Beacon Country Park and Coronation Park; relevant ecosystem peer given the council's parks, waste, and community engagement remit.

Regional players

• One West Lancs: Local strategic partnership bringing together public, private, and community sectors for health, social, and economic outcomes in West Lancashire. Directly comparable as a place-based governance and partnership model in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Lancashire County Council: Tier-1 county authority that delivers complementary services across West Lancashire including highways, libraries, social care, and household waste recycling centres. Operates in the same geography with overlapping service responsibilities, making it a structural peer on resident-facing delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Westlancsbc
• Facebookfacebook.com/WestLancsBC
• Instagraminstagram.com/westlancsbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westlancsbc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West Lancashire Borough Council