Town's transformation may help form culture bid

Barnsley leaders are considering a bid to become the UK's first Town of Culture.

The national competition would see the winning location awarded £3m to deliver a cultural programme in 2028, with two runners-up receiving £250,000 each to deliver elements of their bid.

Members of the council's Town Deals Board unanimously agreed to support a potential bid at a meeting on Monday.

Sir Steve Houghton CBE, council leader, said: "When the pits shut everything changed, and now we've used culture to move the town on to where it is today."

"I do think that sets us apart from others," he said.

"We'll use this bid for the next 30 years. The last 30 years we've done it ourselves. This is going to kick us off higher, and better than we've been previously."

Jon Finch, the council's head of culture and visitor economy, said the key to standing out would be telling a "compelling story," according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said Barnsley's recent progress, particularly the transformation of the town centre and the growth of its cultural and creative sectors, gave it a strong chance of standing out in a crowded field.

Expressions of interest need to be submitted by 31 March, with a shortlist expected to be announced in the spring.

No final decision has yet been made on whether the town's bid will go ahead.

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