It is part of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency, with Jake Berry having been the Member of Parliament (MP) since 2010.

Newchurch is one of the earliest settlements in the Forest of Rossendale, the village developed around St Nicholas church, first built in 1511.

The township of Newchurch stretched from Bacup to Rawtenstall,[2] and in 1511 it was recorded as having a population of 1,000 people.

After World War II the village was expanded with the construction of new homes, including a council estate at Staghills, and during the 1960s many of the historic buildings were demolished to make way for newer bungalows.

The 483 bus service ran by Rosso passes through the village on a regular basis giving easy access to Bury and Burnley.

The other pub in the village, the Blue Bell, closed in 2013 and the empty building is currently for sale Newchurch has two primary schools; St Nicholas[13] and St Peter's as well as Staghills Children's Centre and Nursery, rated as "outstanding" by Ofsted.