Mayors back Richmond’s Town of Culture bid

Northallerton Town Council has formally offered its support to the team preparing the bid, saying it believed backing Richmond was the most constructive approach for the wider region.

In a letter of support, the council said: “Following detailed discussion, it was resolved that the most constructive and strategic course of action would be to support Richmond’s application, thereby strengthening the region’s collective cultural offer.”

The mayors of the two towns recently met at Kilpin Hall, near Scorton, which lies roughly midway between Richmond and Northallerton.

Councillor Carl Tate, Mayor of Richmond, welcomed the opportunity to thank Northallerton for its support.

He said: “It’s really important that the two towns come together to support each other. The work that the bid team has put in so far has been absolutely phenomenal and Northallerton’s support will only increase our chances of winning.”

Mayor of Northallerton, Councillor Andrew Hugill, said a successful bid would benefit the wider area.

“If Richmond is successful there’ll be a lot of people coming from nationally and internationally to the area, many coming by train to Northallerton,” he said.

“We’ve got thriving cultural groups in our town as well, so feeding into the programme that gets developed for a full year will give us lots to do and lots of opportunity.”

Richmond’s expression of interest must be submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by March 27.

If the bid is shortlisted, the town will receive £60,000 to develop a full application.

The eventual winner will be awarded £3m to fund a year of cultural events in 2028, while two runner-up towns will each receive £250,000.