UK City of Culture 2025: Anger as Lancashire's bid ends

Blackpool and less-well known corners of Lancashire would welcome more tourists

Ditching Lancashire's bid to become the UK City of Culture in 2025 is a real "lost opportunity", an artist has said.

Lancashire County County (LCC) said on Tuesday the £22m needed to back the idea was "too great a financial risk".

Michael Trainor, creative director of Blackpool's Art B&B, said it could have been a "catalyst" for Lancashire.

Opposition leader Azhar Alisaid said it was a "kick in the teeth for creative industries and tourism" while the team behind the bid has set up a petition.

Lancashire 2025 is lobbying the Conservative-run local authority to overturn its decision after spending three years "perfecting the bid" which, it said, would be "transformational for the people of Lancashire and unlock great economic rewards".

The council said it remained committed to arts and culture and would adopt elements from the proposals in a new culture and sport strategy.

'Not giving up'

Mr Trainor said the "ambitious" bid could have "shone the spotlight" on Lancashire.

"It would highlight forgotten bits of the county and galvanise people... which is needed at the time more than ever [with the pandemic].

"It's a shame. It's a lost opportunity. It could have attracted a different range of people to Lancashire, appealing to a new audience."

He said he saw first-hand with his Artistic Republic of Garston commission as part of Liverpool's European Capital of Culture 2008 the benefits accolades can bring - and not just for the winners.

"Losing would be disappointing but even the process of application could be a catalyst for the county," he said.

Blaze - an arts charity which supports young creative producers - tweeted that while it was "a let down" for the young people who worked on developing the bid, it was "not giving up" on it yet.

Labour leader Mr Ali said has called for an emergency meeting of the authority, seeking to reverse its decision.

The chairman of Lancashire Business View Magazine said it would have resulted in more than £100m in investment in the county on top of £200m in tourism and £120m of infrastructure spending.

"This is what is at stake for Lancashire," Richard Slater said.

He said the UK City of Culture title was "designed to help areas level up, right now it would be perfect for us".

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