I am writing with reference to your article (Cash cuts for city's culture, Hereford Times, March 24), about reductions in local government funding to local cultural organisations and its impact on Hereford’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021.

Firstly, it is interesting that we have not seen a single closure so far which illustrates the strength of sector in maintaining cultural services in Herefordshire despite the cuts. This demonstrates that the cultural organisations in Herefordshire are well placed to deliver and make the most of a successful City of Culture bid.

Secondly, it is worth pointing out that winning cities have demonstrated the need for investment in resources and infrastructure in the cultural assets of their city. The best chance we have of building new assets in the county such as a new library, museum, art gallery or adding capacity to The Courtyard (not to mention more performance spaces for music) will be if Hereford wins the battle to be City of Culture 2021.

Your readers may well have seen that in this month’s budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a one-off payment of £13.9m to Hull to support their activities as the City of Culture in 2017.

I would urge everyone in Herefordshire who has an interest in the arts/cultural life of the county to back the bid.

Roger Morgan

Chairman of Herefords’s City of Culture 2021 Consortium