Lancashire scraps UK City of Culture 2025 bid

Lancashire has so much to offer, says Frank McKenna, like the Singing Ringing Tree which overlooks Burnley

Lancashire has ditched its bid to become the UK City of Culture 2025 after the council withdrew its support.

It was aiming to be the first county to clinch the coveted title.

Lancashire County County (LCC) said it was a strong proposal but underwriting it by up to £22m was "too great a financial risk".

Frank McKenna, from Downtown in Business who was backing the bid, said he was "disappointed" as the county had "a great chance" of winning.

The bid director Debbi Lander had said Lancashire 2025 would mix the "urban, coastal, countryside, industrial, historical and technological" as part of "our imagined, virtual city".

Mr McKenna said he was "surprised and disappointed".

"Lancashire has so much to offer in terms of our fantastic natural assets, the culture and food sector - not to mention the art scene," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We were in with a great chance. I'd spoken to colleagues in Westminster who were confident Lancashire's bid was being well received."

'Financial uncertainty'

Councillor Alan Vincent, LCC deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: "We know this will be disappointing to those who have worked so hard on this project but feel it is the right decision for Lancashire County Council.

"We felt underwriting the bid to the tune of up to £22m created too great a financial risk when there are significant pressures on services and continuing financial uncertainty following the pandemic."

He said the Conservative-run authority remained committed to arts and culture and it would adopt elements from the proposals in a new culture and sport strategy in the future.

The idea of nominating a UK City of Culture came when the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport wanted to build on the success of Liverpool's year as a European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Derry/Londonderry was the first to hold the honour in 2013, followed by Hull in 2017, while Coventry is the UK City of Culture 2021.

The winning bid for the 2025 title will be announced in December.

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