39 places in the running for Jubilee City Status 2022 – including Wrexham

Wrexham is amongst 39 places across the UK and British Overseas Territories in the running for city status.

The competition is being run as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee.

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are also included for the first time, with locations in the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Falklands.

Stanley in the Falkland Islands, almost 8,000 miles away, is one of the places to apply, and there have also been entries from Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands.

Wrexham is the only Welsh location that is in the running for Jubilee city status after the local authority’s executive board gave the go ahead to submitting a proposal earlier this month.

It is joined by:

• Alcester, Warwickshire
• Ballymena, County Antrim
• Bangor, County Down
• Blackburn, Lancashire
• Bolsover, Derbyshire
• Boston, Lincolnshire
• Bournemouth, Dorset
• Coleraine, County Londonderry
• Colchester, Essex
• Crawley, West Sussex
• Crewe, Cheshire
• Doncaster, South Yorkshire
• Dorchester, Dorset
• Douglas, Isle of Man
• Dudley, West Midlands
• Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway
• Dunfermline, Fife
• Elgin, Moray
• George Town, Cayman Islands
• Gibraltar, Gibraltar
• Goole, East Yorkshire
• Greenock, Renfrewshire
• Guildford, Surrey
• Livingston, West Lothian
• Marazion, Cornwall
• Medway, Kent
• Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
• Newport and Carisbrooke, Hampshire
• Northampton, Northamptonshire
• Oban, Argyll and Bute
• Reading, Berkshire
• Peel, Isle of Man
• St Andrews, Fife
• Stanley, Falkland Islands
• South Ayrshire, Ayrshire and Arran
• Warrington, Cheshire
• Warwick, Warwickshire

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: “The announcement is a celebration of the rich and diverse communities which make up not only the United Kingdom, but also our friends further afield in the Falklands, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands.

“It’s fitting that, as we look towards celebrating the 70 year reign of Her Majesty the Queen, we extend the competition to include those parts of the world which also hold her so dearly.

“City status is not only about local pride, it can deliver real levelling up benefits for businesses and the local area which is clear from the high number of applications. A sincere best of luck to all those who have applied.”

The competition is part of a series of planned celebrations to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s  70-year reign.

Applicants were asked to talk about the distinct identity and community which they felt meant that their area deserved to become a city, as well as the royal associations of their area.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is an exciting chance for local areas to become cities and level up opportunities for all.

“As well as fostering local pride and potential, this competition is a great way to mark Her Majesty’s 70 year reign.

“I wish all entries the best of luck. 2022 is set to be a year of pride, celebration and coming together with the four-day weekend for the Platinum Jubilee alongside other blockbuster events including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Unboxed, championing creativity in the UK.”

Unlike previous Civic Honours competitions, an expert panel will “work closely” with Ministers to make their recommendations, before being approved by Her Majesty The Queen.