Blackburn with Darwen compared with councils in North West
Compared with the 23 councils in North West.
- Residents
- 163,801 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,455 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Blackburn with Darwen sits
1
measures in the bottom quarter
1
measures below the middle
10
measures in the top half
Blackburn with Darwen compares worst with councils in North West on:
- household waste reused, recycled or composted (21st of 23; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more (1st of 23; 1st is lowest)
- relief cases ending with a home secured (1st of 22; 1st is highest)
- prevention cases ending with a home secured (2nd of 22; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 79.9% | 55.0% | Top half 6th of 23 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 1.8 | 3.7 | Top half 3rd of 23 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 26.9 | 34.9 | Top half 3rd of 23 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | No figure | 16.7% | No figure | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | No figure | 79.3% | No figure |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 74.8% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 73.8% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 77.1% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 66.1% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 82.0% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 0.0% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 98.7% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 95.3% | 94.2% | Top half 8th of 23 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 23.4 | 13.4 | Below the middle 16th of 23 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 128.7 | 66.9 | Top half 4th of 23 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 27.1% | 47.3% | Bottom quarter 21st of 23 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 0.6 | 1.7 | Top half 3rd of 23 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 0.0% | 1.4% | Top half 1st of 23 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 79.2% | 52.2% | Top half 2nd of 22 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 71.3% | 33.3% | Top half 1st of 22 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 96.6% | 94.2% | Top half 5th of 23 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Blackburn with Darwen | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £400 | £351 | 7th of 22 | |
| Adult social care | £492 | £495 | 13th of 22 | |
| Public health | £121 | £91 | 4th of 22 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £32 | £34 | 12th of 22 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £99 | £69 | 4th of 22 | |
| Highways and transport | £21 | £32 | 17th of 22 | |
| Culture and leisure | £64 | £51 | 4th of 22 | |
| Planning and development | £26 | £27 | 13th of 22 | |
| Central services | £74 | £56 | 5th of 22 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,328 | £1,258 | 6th of 22 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Blackburn with Darwen’s children's services good at its last full inspection, in March 2025.
- Outstanding
- 1 of the 23 councils in North West
- Good
- 10 of the 23 councils in North West, including Blackburn with Darwen
- Requires improvement
- 7 of the 23 councils in North West
- Inadequate
- 5 of the 23 councils in North West
Over time
Blackburn with Darwen against the median of councils in North West.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Blackburn with Darwen: 79.9%
- Median (councils in North West): 55.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Blackburn with Darwen: 1.8
- Median (councils in North West): 3.7
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Blackburn with Darwen: 27.1%
- Median (councils in North West): 47.3%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Blackburn with Darwen: 23.4
- Median (councils in North West): 13.4
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Blackburn with Darwen. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.