Nine finalists selected for City of Culture award including UK city famous for its 'utopian' planning

Also on the longlist is Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Swindon and Wrexham.

Bids from Bristol, Carlisle, Exeter, Herefordshire, Isle of Thanet, Peterborough, Plymouth and Reading missed out.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the nine contenders will each receive £60,000 to develop full bids.

For the first time, the winner will receive a prize of £10million to deliver a year of cultural activities, with three others collecting £125,000 for elements of their bid.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the competition, and the first Town of Culture in 2028, "recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation".

The longlist was decided by an independent panel chaired by Brookside, Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond.

Sir Phil said the competition used culture as a "creative catalyst for change, raising awareness and changing perceptions".

He said: "Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and, more recently, Bradford, have all demonstrated the quality and depth of cultural activity embedded across the UK, as well as the benefits of simply taking part.

“The competition brings people together, to talk to each other rather than at each other, sharing commonality and tolerating difference. Above all, allowing people to demonstrate their own pride in their places.”

More than 230 towns have registered an interest in bidding to be the UK’s first Town of Culture and Ms Nandy urged more to enter before the deadline at the end of March.

Ms Nandy said: "It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people."

Last year, Bradford featured a programme of 5,000 events, pulling in an audience of three million to the Yorkshire city, whose designation as UK City of Culture expires on March 31 this year.

Chief executive of Arts Council England, said: "Bradford's year in the spotlight has been a big, bold and brilliant success from start to finish.

"Sparked by the imagination, innovation and creativity of local, national and international artists, Bradford's magnificent story now continues onwards, powered by a new sense of confidence."

The idea of the City of Culture was first pitched in 2009 under Gordon Brown's Labour Government, by then-Culture Secretary and future Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

In 2010, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey announced that Derry would be the first ever recipient of the award, with the city's bid branded as "Derry-Londonderry".

Hull would host the accolade in 2017, followed by Coventry in 2021 and then Bradford in 2025.

The only areas precluded from bidding are London as a whole or any part of London, however the capital can partner with areas outside London for their bids.