A competition for the grant of city status to mark the 50th Anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession to the throne is launched today.
City status will be granted next year by personal Command of the Queen, on advice from Ministers, to a suitably qualified town in each of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
City status is sparingly bestowed as a mark of special distinction - only 17 grants were made last century. The last cities to be granted city status were Brighton & Hove, Inverness and Wolverhampton to mark the Millennium.
There are no criteria for the grant of city status. However, following a review after the Millennium city status competition last year, Her Majesty has agreed that three main factors will be taken into account when assessing the bids. These are:
All applications will be considered on their individual merits.
Although guidelines have been issued on this occasion, they are not criteria, but merely suggestions as to what a town might include in an application. Population size will only be considered, as a possible measure of a town's significance within its region, if applicants in contention are otherwise evenly matched.
Only local authorities may apply for this honour.
Towns that submitted unsuccessful applications for the Millennium grant of city status have been asked whether they would like those applications to be considered for the Golden Jubilee award or whether they wish to submit further information. Applications from towns that have not previously applied will also be welcomed.
Applications and representations from local authorities in England should be submitted to the Lord Chancellor's Department by 5pm on Friday 12 October 2001.
Applications from towns in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales should be sent to the Northern Ireland Office, the Scotland Office or the Wales Office, as appropriate, within the same timescale. Applications may take whatever form is felt best to present the town's case.
Notes for Editors:
Media enquiries about this notice should be addressed to the relevant departmental press offices:
England - Lord Chancellor's Department tel: 020-7210
8512/3;
Wales - Wales Office tel: 020-7270 0578;
Scotland - Scotland Office tel: 020-7270 6875/6816;
and
Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Office tel: 02890-528216.
Local Authority Enquiries
England - Enquiries from local authorities in England
should be made to Sylvia Brown, Constitutional Unit, Lord Chancellor's
Department, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT. Sylvia can be contacted
by telephone on 020-7273 2798 and email.
Northern Ireland - Enquiries from local authorities
in Northern Ireland should be made to Kate Udy, Devolution and Legislation
Division, Northern Ireland Office, Block B level 4, Castle Buildings,
Stormont, BELFAST, Northern Ireland. Kate can be contacted by telephone
on 02890-528272 or fax on 020-7210 0255.
Scotland - Enquiries from local authorities in Scotland
should be made to Callum Ingram, Home and Social Division, Scotland
Office, First Floor, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, GLASGOW G2 6AT.
Callum can be contacted by telephone on 0141-242 5953 and by email.
Wales - Enquiries from local authorities in Wales should
be made to Jonquil Dartnall, Policy 2 Branch, Wales Office, Gwydyr House,
Whitehall, London SW1A 2ER.
The Prime Minister announced in a Written Answer on 23 November that Her Majesty had expressed the intention of marking the 50th Anniversary of her accession to the throne by the grant of civic honours - city status and a Lord Mayoralty.
City status is not, and never has been a right that can be claimed by a town fulfilling certain conditions. The use of specific criteria could lead to a town claiming city status as of right; which in turn might devalue the honour. All applications are considered on their individual merits. Although guidelines have been issued on this occasion, they are not criteria, but merely suggestions as to what a town might include in an application.
No date has yet been set for the announcement of the new cities. The grant of this honour will confer no additional powers or functions on the successful towns.
ENDS