A DECISION on whether Worcester makes a bid to become the UK's City of Culture could be made this month, it has emerged.

After months of in-house work a report is being prepared for the city council's Conservative leadership to consider at the end of October.

The report is expected to give the decision-making cabinet some recommendations after detailed investigative work was done around the costs of a bid.

As your Worcester News revealed last year, the suggestion of Worcester bidding to become 2021 City of Culture came from the old Labour administration in 2013.

Exactly one year ago then-Culture Secretary Sajid Javid inadvertently piled the pressure on the current Conservative administration by saying Worcester should "go for it", stating that he believes it would give the whole county a major economic boost.

But the sticking point has always been the costs, with the council calling upon funding support from other Worcester organisations.

After a meeting with more than 75 city organisations involved in sport, leisure, retail and cultural endeavours earlier this year officers been working on the implications of a bid.

The issue came up during a full council meeting where Councillor Adrian Gregson, Labour group leader, said "can you explain why the cabinet is not pursuing a bid".

Conservative Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for history and heritage, said: "There is a paper coming to the next cabinet meeting that will look into the options available.

"I won't be saying what those options are, we'll have to wait until the report is published."

During the debate she also welcomed the recent ranking of Worcester as one of the UK's top 10 heritage destinations, reeling of some of the city's key tourism assets and saying she was "delighted" by it.

"It's very good news for the city and illustrates the council's commitment to making the most of its heritage," she said.

A bid would need to be made in 2017 in order to compete for the 2021 City of Culture crown and the early contenders already include Cardiff, Aberdeen, Coventry, Sunderland and Paisley.

The award is dished out every four years and the last winner is Hull, which is City of Culture for 2017.

Hull is estimated to benefit from at least £60 million of new economic activity in 2017, and millions more from tourism in the years running up to it.

The next city council cabinet meeting is on Tuesday, October 27.