Cornwall Council is to bid for Truro-Cornwall to be European Capital of Culture in 2023.  

Councillors say the status could boost the Cornish economy by up to £100m.

The council will lead a partnership bid for the award after hearing that the costs of going ahead with the first phase of the bid would be £336,000, not the £536,000 originally reported, with potential economic benefits to Cornwall of up to £769,000.

The creative and cultural sector is one of the fastest growing parts of the economy and is already worth £9bn to Cornwall.

Nationally employment growth rates in the sector increased by 83.5% from 1997-2013. This European Capital of Culture bid is another key cornerstone in the development and implementation of this economic and cultural strategy for Cornwall as a whole. 

Cllr Julian German said: ’In 2023 the world will be a different place and the UK will be outside of the European Union. Who can say what that will mean for Cornwall?’

The Council will now be working with partners, politicians, communities, grass roots organisations, businesses and commercial organisations to submit the Cornwall bid by late October 2017.