Amesbury bidding to become 2028 Town of Culture
The town Mayor says winning would be "transformational" for the town
The Mayor Amesbury says it would be "transformational" if the town is named the UK's first Town of Culture.
Town Councillors are tabling a bid to win the accolade, which is part of a Government competition, with the winning town being handed £3 million to host cultural events.
West Wiltshire town, Mere, is also preparing a bid.
Cllr Dr Monica Devendran says it would put Amesbury, which is one of the oldest continually inhabited UK settlements, "on the national stage" and would celebrate the town's "unique" heritage and vibrant community.
She said: "The Town of Culture Bid is about bringing together our history, our people and their ambitions. Using culture as a tool for regeneration, as a matter of pride for us and it allows us to tell Amesbury's story on a national stage while investing into the local talent, community groups and long-term cultural infrastructure."
The Mayor told us that it would increase footfall and tourism in the town, as well as providing a major boost for local businesses.
Asked what it would mean to be the winning bid, she said: "It'll give our residents a shared sense of achievement and show that Amesbury is not a town with an ancient past, but a place with vibrant, inclusive, and an ambitious cultural future."
Task group leading bid work
A task group has been set up to work on the bid, with Cllr Andrew Lord spearheading the efforts.
Cllr Lord said Amesbury isn't just about it's iconic historic venues like Stonehenge: "It's a very diverse and vibrant community and what we want the town culture bid and its success is really to bring that community together."
The task group is made up of half a dozen councillors, but Cllr Lord said the input and support of local people is critical.
"We recognise as a council group, we need the support of the local community as well. So the structure that we've developed is we've got the working group, but we've held a vision workshop at the History Centre at the end of January, where over 40 local people and agencies came together to share their ideas for the future of Amesbury," he said.
Cllr Lord said there is still opportunity for local people to be involved, with a survey live on the Town Council website.
"We want to hear as many views as possible and to hear people's ideas. How do we turn Amesbury, which is a wonderful place, into an even better place through this town of culture bid," he said.
The group is drafting it's expression of interest before finalising it's bid at the end of March.