Lancashire's City of Culture 2025 bid revived after being axed

Over the weekend, the chances of the county even entering the running for the coveted titles appeared dead in the water after disagreements over funding.

But just moments before the deadline yesterday to submit a bid, Lancashire sensationally changed face and reentered the race.

Only last week, Lancashire County Council chiefs were adamant the bid should not go ahead because of the financial implications and district council also baulking at the cost.

But yesterday an 'expression of interest' was submitted - without the backing of Lancashire County Council.

It followed what organisers Lancashire 2025 called "an intense few weeks of discussion", following a "three-year process during which the team, working in partnership with colleagues and stakeholders across the county, developed an ambitious, innovative vision for the bid," a spokesman said..

Tony Attard OBE DL, Chair of Lancashire 2025, added: “The vision for Lancashire’s bid is so compelling, and arguably more pertinent now than ever, we simply could not give up on it.

"We are hugely grateful to Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council, Preston City Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership who have remained unwavering in their support for our bid.

"Now that our expression of interest is in, we will continue to work with partners across the county to ensure that we maximise the profile that being part of this competition can bring."

Coun Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, CBE, said: "We are proud to play a leading role as one of the key urban hubs within Lancashire’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025.

"We have worked closely with the team over the last year and the bid will be focused on projects we know will add resilience and capacity to a cultural sector still reeling from the impacts of the pandemic.

"The obvious potential for increased tourism, media, economic impact, skills and jobs, not to mention further showcasing the array of cultural assets and projects Blackburn with Darwen delivers is incredibly exciting, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our borough and county."

Coun Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: "A huge amount of work has gone into this project to get it to this stage and it would be a real shame to lose the opportunity to see it through.