Here are some of the key council decisions coming up this month - including on plans for an LGBTQ+ village

Responding to the consultation on plans to develop a village quarter in Blackpool celebrating the resort’s LGBTQ+ heritage is among the first tasks the council will consider in 2024.

Feedback and an action plan are scheduled to be on the executive agenda later in January following the launch of the project last August.

The plans for Claremont ward aim to build on the existing concentration of gay-friendly bars, venues and guest houses in streets in the north of the town centre including parts of Lord Street, Queen Street and Dickson Road.

It is proposed there would be no label attached to the neighbourhood – instead, its mantra would be – ‘Be who you want to be’.

Also scheduled for January is the implementation of stronger powers for the council and police to tackle anti-social behaviour – including to protect wildlife following alleged dog attacks in Stanley Park. Additional controls, set out in a new public space protection order (PSPO) for open spaces and cemeteries in Blackpool, were agreed by the Climate Change and Environment Scrutiny Committee in November but had to be rubber-stamped by a judge.

One of the key components is tougher enforcement to ensure dog walkers keep their pets on a lead while walking next to council water features including Stanley Park Lake, in Devonshire Road Rock Gardens, and the lake at Kincraig Nature Reserve in North Shore.

Powers also cover illegal camping, vandalism and use of unauthorised vehicles, with the use of e-bikes and scooters cited as a particular nuisance.

The council is also due to approve new strategies aimed at improving air quality in the town over the next 10 years. Councillors have already ruled out introducing controversial low-emission zones or congestion charges, but instead aim to pursue measures such as supporting more use of electric vehicles and encouraging people to switch to public transport or to walk or cycle.

Air quality in Blackpool currently complies with legal levels set by the government helped by its coastal location. But the town’s director of public health Dr Arif Rajpura has previously warned air pollution is linked with some illnesses and can contribute to the onset of heart disease and cancer.