WARRINGTON is among eleven areas battling for the 2021 City of Culture title.

Coventry, Hereford, Paisley, Perth, Portsmouth, St David's and the Hundred of Dewisland, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Warrington and Wells have all formally entered the competition for the third UK City of Culture.

Matt Hancock, minister of state for digital and culture, made the announcement today, March 2.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has also committed £3 million to the holder of the title from 2021 onwards to boost heritage.

To unlock the funds, the successful bidder will need to demonstrate that their programme is 'underpinned by heritage' and 'builds on existing investment' by the HLF.

Cllr Dan Price (LAB – Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall) had been leading a panel of experts to decide if the town should throw its hat into the ring for the honour following the damning 2015 Royal Society of Arts (RSA) heritage report.

Mr Hancock said UK City of Culture is a 'fantastic opportunity' for towns and cities to 'celebrate their creativity and use culture as a catalyst for economic growth'.

He added: "I am delighted to see so many bids from across the country, showing how many areas recognise the important role culture can play in the development and regeneration of communities.

"UK City of Culture helps boost tourism and raises the profile of arts and culture.

"The exciting funding commitment from the HLF today is yet another incentive for towns to secure this prestigious title."

Ros Kerslake, chief executive of the HLF, said: "This list shows there is clearly a great deal of enthusiasm among the UK's cities for celebrating their unique culture.

"Heritage, much of which has benefitted over the past 23 years from National Lottery funding, is so important to a city's identity, as well as making a huge contribution to tourism, jobs and the economy.

"Building on the support we have given to Hull 2017, this funding will allow the UK City of Culture 2021 to showcase its heritage to the world."

Hull is the second city to host the title.

Its programme includes 365 days of cultural events and, to date, more than 340,000 people have attended the In With A Bang fireworks event and Made In Hull programme.

It is estimated that being the UK City of Culture 2017 will deliver a £60 million boost to Hull's economy this year.

The city has also seen a £1 billion investment since winning the title in 2013.

Anticipated costs of submitting a bid for Warrington are yet to be finalised but council sources said it will 'not be in the millions'.

A shortlist of the bidding areas will be confirmed in the summer before the winning area is announced in December.