Medway Council has missed out on achieving city status in its latest bid, the government has announced. The authority was one of 38 places in the UK that entered the Civic Honours competition last year, which was launched to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. However, today it was revealed that Medway was unsuccessful in claiming the title for the fourth time. The eight places that have been awarded city status are:
Today's announcement brings the number of official cities in the mainland UK to 76, with 55 in England, eight in Scotland, seven in Wales and six in Northern Ireland - with Canterbury the only city in Kent. Medway's latest attempt for city status follows previous bids made in 2000, 2002 and 2012, echoing the experience of Reading. The recent bid, which is available on Medway Council's website, focussed on eight key themes, including civic pride, innovation and royal links. In the submitted bid, a statement by Medway Council leader Alan Jarrett read: "Known for many centuries as the Medway Towns, today we believe that Medway is a city in all but name; we think like a city, we act like a city. "Named for the famous river that links its five towns, Medway is proud to have made some of the greatest contributions to our nation’s global standing and reputation over many centuries and is fast becoming one of the country’s economic success stories, with a reputation as a hub for innovation, creativity, successful regeneration and reinvention." The authority saw the bid - which placed Chatham at its heart - as an opportunity to raise the profile of the area to boost local growth, attract more inward investment and strengthen its public image. The document was written and designed by Medway Council's in-house team, with the only cost incurred being the printing of a small number of copies of the document.
A panel of experts and Cabinet Office ministers assessed the 38 bids before recommendations were submitted to the Queen. Chelmsford in England and Newport in Wales were among previous winners of the competition for city status - which has taken place during each of the last three jubilee years. The eight new cities will receive the award formally through a Letters Patent, which will be presented later in the year. Medway's unsuccessful bid for city status comes just months after it narrowly missed out on being longlisted for the UK City of Culture 2025 title. This week the four shortlisted places were revealed, which are Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough, with the winner set to be announced soon. Comments are closed.
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August 2023
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