CONCERNS that a City of Culture bid may not be “value for money for taxpayers” during a cost-of-living crisis has sparked a fresh consultation from Southend Council. 

The council’s cabinet will discuss carrying out more research and engagement to find out the views on Southend making a City of Culture bid for 2029. 

A report will be presented at a cabinet meeting next week to outline the pros and cons of forming a bid.

This will include looking at the benefits other cities have seen since winning.

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Despite support for the bid, Carole Mulroney, councillor responsible for the environment, culture and tourism, said benefits must be balanced against other issues. 

She said: “We must consider this against the cost-of-living crisis, which is deepening, affecting many of our residents and increased pressure on public finances too.

“While there are many clear and tangible benefits should we win, this is taxpayers’ money that we would need to invest into the bid, and we therefore need to consider value for money.

“This is why the report recommends further research to better understand the costs and benefits, particularly for those areas that were unsuccessful, and resident engagement, because we need our residents to be behind the bid too, and if we are going to go for it, truly do so with city-wide support, enthusiasm and the conviction we can win.”

City of Culture is a designation given to a city in the UK for a period of one calendar year, during of which the successful bidder hosts cultural festivities through culture-led regeneration for the year.

Ms Mulroney added: “We recognise the importance of culture in our city, which is why we developed the Culture Strategy in 2020 and the culture-led regeneration work in 2021.

“Since becoming a city, a committee of council, commercial and cultural members, plus our MPs who meet regularly, is generally supportive for making a bid for City of Culture.”