Basildon shortlisted for UK town of culture award

Basildon has been shortlisted for the first UK Town of Culture competition for 2028.

The Essex town is competing against Grimsby, Rotherham and Birkenhead in Merseyside in the large towns category, with the winner to be announced early next year.

The government said it received almost 400 bids for the contest, which also has a small and medium towns category, with Great Yarmouth in Norfolk and Corby in Northamptonshire vying for the latter.

Culture Minister Ian Murray said Basildon's bid had been "tremendous" and the winning town would receive £3m to deliver on it.

The winner will go on to host a season of culture in 2028, in an effort to deliver a long-lasting legacy of local pride - mirroring the UK City of Culture competition.

Murray added that he wanted towns in the UK to know their contribution was "seen and valued" and said the prize money would be a catalyst for future investment.

"It may not sound a lot of money (£3m) but hopefully it will catalyse private sector funding," he told BBC Essex breakfast presenter Sonia Watson.

"The whole reason for this is to have a year-long celebration and if Basildon wins, it will have huge benefits not just for that year but also for its future legacy."

Resident Jamie Donovan was skeptical that Basildon would win.

"I don't know - Basildon used to be thriving but it isn't the same as it was 20 years ago," he said.

"Culture? I am not so sure."

Another resident, June Smith, also downplayed the town but hoped it would win.

"I have lived here for 55 years and Basildon has gone downhill," she said.

"It would be a boost (to win), as the town still has so much to offer but it gets a lot of bad press, every time you put the telly on."

Resident Mark Lane believed the town needed more cultural offerings.

"They should have a drama school here and focus more on the theatre aspect - the theatre is fine but you need something bigger," he said.

The 15 shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 each to develop their full bids, which will be assessed by a judging panel.

The other shortlisted towns are:

Medium towns

• Corby, Northamptonshire
• Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk
• Leith, Scotland
• Pontypridd, South Wales
• Port Talbot, South Wales

Small towns

• Ilfracombe, Devon
• Isle of Bute, Scotland
• Lerwick, Scotland
• Sandown, Isle of Wight
• Strabane, Northern Ireland
• Stockton Town Centre Ward, County Durham

According to data from 2016, the council district of Basildon serves roughly 176,000 people, with engineering, retail, distribution and financial services being the most prominent industries.

It has a high proportion of social tenants, with a fewer-than-average number of residents owning their own homes.

The other Essex towns which entered bids - but were ultimately unsuccessful - were Harlow, Maldon, Leigh-on-Sea, Rochford, Saffron Walden and Witham.

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