THE body behind bringing the Tour de France to Yorkshire, which generated £102m for the region's economy, is seeking sustainable funding from councils to secure its future work.

North Yorkshire County Council's outgoing leader, Councillor John Weighell, said local authorities were working with Welcome to Yorkshire to look at the financial sustainability of the organisation moving forward.

The tourism body, which is believed to have an annual budget of nearly £2m for its marketing work, will hold a meeting with the cash-strapped authority next week to discuss whether the authority is willing to increase its £80,000 annual support.

The council, which is in the process of cutting its outgoings by £167m, is expected to follow its West Yorkshire counterpart in agreeing to prioritise the marketing organisation over other demands on its budget.

The move could spark controversy, given that the authority has said it would need to strip back most of its services to those it legally has to provide, such as road maintenance.

In a speech to members of the authority later today (Wednesday May 20), Cllr Weighell will say: "Clearly, Welcome to Yorkshire incurred large expenses following the Tour de France and needs continued support from partners to be sustainable in the years to come.

"The county has a brand recognition that many areas are envious of.

"It is extremely important to maintain this profile and to generate business from tourism and also from entrepreneurs who see the county as a vibrant and successful place to be based."

Welcome to Yorkshire, which is part-funded by membership fees, said it had secured funding from the Government following the Tour de France, but declined to comment on its talks with councils.

The council's incoming leader, Councillor Carl Les, who is also a director of the tourism body, said: "As we move into a new era following the Tour de France, there has been a realisation that somebody has to pay for this (Welcome to Yorkshire).

Cllr Les said he would press MPs to lobby the Treasury for extra funding to bolster the organisation which marketed the visitor economy in the Government's Northern Powerhouse.

Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake said while Welcome to Yorkshire had done a fantastic job for tourism-dependent North Yorkshire, there were numerous pressures on the Government's budget.

He said: "I would be happy to look at the issue, but I need to understand what the need is."