Warrington and surrounding districts including the villages of Winwick and Croft and Risley and Culcheth were annexed to Cheshire. A part of the West Riding of Yorkshire near Clitheroe, was transferred to Lancashire also.
In 1998 Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen became independent of the county as unitary authorities, but remained in Lancashire for ceremonial purposes, as well as for fire and rescue and policing.
a single authority for the existing County Council Area, with the Blackpool unitary authority extended over the Cleveleys and Fleetwood
5 authorities for the whole ceremonial county plus southern Cumbria, but with West Lancashire divided between Sefton in Merseyside and Wigan in Greater Manchester. On July 8 local government minister Nick Raynsford announced that the option to be put in the referendum had been modified to include the whole of Ormskirk in the new Sefton & West Lancashire district.
