Lancashire scraps City of Culture bid

Lancashire creatives have reacted to its council's decision to pull out of bidding for UK City of Culture 2025.

The team behind the bid is petitioning for Lancashire Country Council to change its mind, but the authority says the £22m needed to compete was "too great a financial risk".

Blackpool's Art B&B Creative Director Michael Trainor said even the process of bidding would have benefitted Lancashire.

READ MORE: No guarantee of funding for City of Culture 2025 winner

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

Opposition leader Azhar Alisaid said it was a "kick in the teeth for creative industries and tourism", while Lancashire Business View Magazine Chairman Richard Slater estimated the 2025 title would have resulted in £420m of investment in the county.