Lancashire is after the 2025 City of Culture title – for the whole entire county.

The initiative, awarded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, is traditionally bestowed upon cities across the UK, with Derry first claiming the title in 2013.

Coventry will become the next City of Culture in 2021, following an announcement in 2017.

The winning area holds the title for one year, similar to the European capital of culture programme which saw huge economic boosts to Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008.

Hull, which was crowned in 2017, found that their status attracted more than 5,000,000 new people, £220,000,000 of investment and created around 800 new jobs, the BBC reported.

Lancashire is home to the first Sirloin cut of beef in 1617, attracts over 69,000,000 visitors each year, organisers say.

The county also hosts the largest collection of Tiffany glass, while Lancaster Castle was the location of the 1612 witch trials.

Tony Attard, chair of Lancashire 2025, said: ‘From the very beginning we were focused on constructing a bid that would include the whole of Lancashire, not focus in on just one urban centre.

‘Lancashire is 80% rural, with 137 miles of coastline, assets that add immense value to our cultural landscape and that we want to emphasise, not underplay.

‘We also have significant urban centres, all of which have their own distinct identities, none of which dominate in scale and again, each one with assets that will add weight to our bid.’

The bid will be formally entered in spring next year.

Debbi Lander, bid director, said: ‘Future cities should not be constrained by historic or geographic boundaries.

‘Digital technology and connectivity has enabled the creation of new places or spaces more so than urban centres.’

Cities and towns involved in the bid include Burnley, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool, Accrington, Morecambe, Lancaster, Fleetwood, Chorley, Clitheroe, Garstang, Ormskirk, Lytham St Anne’s, Poulton-le-Fylde.

Former Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid, who is professor of contemporary art at the University of Central Lancashire, called the county a ‘hidden gem’.

She said : ‘We simply need to get it out of the jewellery box and wear it.’

Labour have also made a manifesto pledge for a ‘Town of Culture competition’ to run alongside City of Culture if they win the General Election.

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