HULL is on the cusp of social and economic change after being named UK City of Culture 2017. Worth an estimated £60m to the city, the coveted title will help deliver the £190m ten-year City Plan outlined by Hull City Council to create 7,500 jobs.
Hull's City of Culture year is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to propel it onto a global stage, but business leaders say the planned £12.5m programme of events is just the beginning of the journey to prosperity. Councillor Steven Bayes, portfolio holder for Hull's UK City of Culture 2017 bid, said it is the "start of the future" for Hull.
"Our City of Culture year will provide us with the building blocks to grow," he said. "Over the next three years, we will put the scaffolding up around the city and build the infrastructure needed to ensure we attract business and increase investment in 2017 and beyond.
"You look at Derry-Londonderry and Liverpool and you can see the benefits this programme can have, so it is important we are ready for that, as well as looking to the future. When people come to our city, they will spend – spend money in our restaurants, hotels and shops – and that will leave a lasting economic effect.
"Investors can now begin to plan their developments. Providing the infrastructure will create jobs for Hull people, again leaving a legacy."
Private sector businesses have already backed the programme to the tune of £374,000, with 22 "Hull 2017 Angels" pledging £17,000 each to help stage a packed schedule of events throughout the year. Peter Aarosin, chairman of the Hull and East Yorkshire Bondholders, said winning the accolade "changes the game in terms of the profile, positioning and image of Hull."
"It is the perfect vehicle to help deliver Hull's ten-year City Plan to transform Hull's economy and offers the city and wider region the chance to leave the past behind and move forward as an area with fantastic opportunities, culturally and economically," he said. "Vibrant, cultural places are a magnet for investment because businesses want to relocate in places that offer a great quality of life. That's why this decision is so important in influencing inward investment decisions.
"We can now combine our City of Culture status with our other key advantages – our location at the gateway of Europe, at the heart of the UK's busiest ports complex; our status as the UK's Energy Estuary; and our geographical opportunity to be a world leader in green energy technologies – to leverage further inward investments.
"This decision will also stimulate growth and job creation, especially in the creative industries and cultural enterprises. It will accelerate the development of the city's cultural and artistic sector, the vitality of which has been recognised in the UK City of Culture award."
The increased focus on the city will provide a catalyst to forge trade links in order to help secure inward investment as well as providing export opportunities.
Lord Haskins, chairman of the Humber LEP, described Hull's winning bid as a "triumph" in demonstrating the city's ambition. He said: "Visitor numbers and the associated spend alone will see economic benefits for Hull and wider region – estimated at £184m. The title and culture activity backed up with £190m in infrastructure as part of Hull's City Plan, teamed with the wider regional economic regeneration as part of the Humber's Energy Estuary, has the potential to act as a catalyst to change perceptions and in turn the region's fortunes."
The World Trade Centre Hull & Humber says the announcement will make businesses across the globe sit up and take note of the opportunities available in Hull and the Humber.
Dominic Ward, director of World Trade Centre Hull & Humber and partner at Andrew Jackson Solicitors, said: "The World Trade Centre will now forge ahead with its plans to bid to host the World Trade Centers Association General Assembly to the city in 2017. This will mean more than 300 business people from 80 countries descending on Hull for a major international conference.
"Winning City of Culture will greatly increase our chances of achieving this through making the international business community believe in Hull as a destination."
• Why Hull's UK City of Culture victory will benefit everybody - by Mail editor Neil Hodgkinson
• What can Hull expect in 2017? A guide to events
