North west news update August 21

Digital reporter Aimee Seddon with today's top north west news headlines and weather

Transcript

00:00 Hi, I'm digital reporter Amy Seddon bringing you the latest news from across the North West.

00:04 Costco has set its sights on Preston after revealing a shortlist of cities where it wants

00:08 to open new stores. The wholesale supermarket is planning to open 14 new sites across the UK

00:15 in the next two years and is named Preston amongst the potential locations.

00:19 The retailer said it is looking for 6 to 12 acre sites in the Preston area with enough space for

00:25 a 150,000 square foot building with 650 parking spaces. Costco is also looking for a site which

00:32 would allow them to develop a petrol filling and electric vehicle station. Data published today has

00:39 revealed Blackpool residents have suffered worse than anywhere else in the country from council

00:44 cuts. Research by the BBC data unit shows local authorities across the UK are struggling to

00:50 balance the books with the average council now facing a 33 million pound predicted deficit by

00:56 2025 to 26, a rise of 60 percent from 20 million two years ago. Together the 190 authorities surveyed

01:04 in the BBC study said they would need to find 5.2 billion pounds to balance the books by April 2026

01:10 even after making 2.5 billion pound worth cuts this year. Local government union Unison has

01:15 warned the crisis could mean some councils are unable to provide statutory services in future

01:20 such as adult social care. Blackpool council has had to make savings of 23 million in the current

01:26 financial year meaning it is being forced to make the biggest savings per head of population in

01:31 England of 166 pounds per resident. A 12 year old boy from Morecambe has led a team challenge taking

01:39 on the three peaks over the weekend to support charities close to his heart. On Saturday team

01:45 Dillon took on the national three peaks challenge which involves climbing the big the highest peaks

01:51 of Scotland, England and Wales, Ben Nevis, Scaffold Pike and Snowdon all within a time limit of 24

01:59 hours which includes travel time. The day marked two years since Lancaster Royal Grammar School

02:05 pupil Dillon lost his mum Amy to suicide. All the funds raised over 16,000 pounds so far will be

02:12 donated to papyrus suicide prevention, cancer care at Slyndales and the forget me not centre at St

02:19 John's hospice giving back to the charities that have helped equip the family to come to terms with

02:25 losing their beloved wife and mum. A 54 year old woman died after a collision with an lgv tanker

02:32 on the m6 motorway near Wigan on Sunday morning. Police received a report at around 9 15 a.m

02:39 yesterday of a major incident on the motorway between junctions 26 for Orwell and then m58

02:46 and 27 Standish. Emergency services attended and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

02:53 Patients in Burnley are reaping the benefits of a new community diagnostic centre known as the CDC

03:01 which is exceeding all expectations when it comes to the number of patients being scanned.

03:07 Burnley CDC delivered 1 678 non-pregnancy related ultrasounds between April the 1st and July the 30th

03:15 and 194% increase against their planned activity. Radiology directorate manager at East Lancashire

03:21 hospitals NHS trust Carol Wood said community diagnostic centres are instrumental in ensuring

03:28 patients receive their scans as quickly as possible. This in turn means they can be

03:32 diagnosed and treated sooner or their minds put at ease if the results are clear.

03:37 The key to the CDC's success is the new state-of-the-art equipment combined with careful

03:43 planning of appointments. Different scans require different attachments to the scanners

03:48 so we maximise on scanning the time by grouping the same type of imaging together.

03:54 And now for the weather. Across Lancashire today it will be dry and cloudy with the odd bit of sun

04:01 peeping through in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will range from 16 celsius at the

04:06 lowest to 20 Celsius at the highest. Thank you.