Subscribe to trusted local news

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

  • Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

02

Sept 2021

Last Updated: 01/09/2021
Politics
Politics

Could Tour de Yorkshire money be spent on Festival of Yorkshire instead?

by Stuart Minting Local Democracy Reporter

| 02 Sept, 2021
Comment

0

Taxpayers' money set aside for the race could be spent on a festival celebrating the region’s food and drink, arts and culture, heritage and music to boost the local economy after covid.

tdypateleybridge
Tour de Yorkshire passes through Pateley Bridge in 2016. Picture: Tour de Yorkshire.

Calls are mounting for the millions of pounds of taxpayers money set aside to fund next year’s Tour de Yorkshire to be used to stage a cultural festival instead.

The cycle race was cancelled on Tuesday and yesterday leading councillors said the public purse funds earmarked for the event should be used to bankroll the week-long Festival of Yorkshire, which Welcome to Yorkshire had hoped to run alongside the race.

Councillors hope an expansive event celebrating the region’s food and drink, arts and culture, heritage and music would act as a springboard for the economy after the pandemic.

North Yorkshire County Council set aside up to £200,000 for next year’s event. The authority’s leader, Councillor Carl Les, said he hoped the race’s organisers could look at whether the festival programme element of the Tour de Yorkshire could still be held next year.

He said:

“I would support continuing with the festival idea, which was the idea linked to the cycle race. I do hope that the race is only postponed and that we will be talking about having a race again in 2023.
“It’s hard to think of another event that touches so many different parts of the county and the region of Yorkshire and joins them all up together.”






Read more:







When asked to comment on calls for the money to be used to enable more people to cycle, he said the county council was already spending “a considerable amount of money on developing cycling routes”.

He added the money saved from next year’s Tour de Yorkshire would not go far in developing the network in North Yorkshire.