Rally against city status bid to be held on Saturday

Campaigners against Wrexham Council’s bid for city status will rally outside the Guildhall on Saturday.

Organisers say the rally at Llwyn Isaf starts at 11am, and has been called ahead of the Executive Board meeting on Tuesday where the final rubber stamp of the decision to proceed with city status will likely take place.

The issue was debated and voted on last month in one of the worst meetings Wrexham Council has ever held, when the Full Council met and all 46 councillors present voted on the topic, amid threats of a walk out.

Plaid Cymru Councillor Marc Jones, one of the rally organisers, said: “The council’s bid for city status is a distraction when we need a laser-like focus on improving our town and borough. There’s a lot to do in terms of regenerating our town centre, funding the Wrexham Gateway, improving transport and access as well as our Culture bid for 2025.

“There are no tangible economic benefits from city status and there are plenty of successful towns that don’t need to attach a meaningless label to their identity.

“To make a change like this, you have to make a compelling case and take people with you. This council leadership has failed to make the case and persuade people of its merits. I’m not surprised because it has failed to listen to people on so many occasions.

“The rally is the last opportunity for people to have their say on this matter. I would urge people to attend to send a message to the council’s leadership.”

His call was echoed by fellow Plaid Cymru councillor Carrie Harper: “City status will inevitably mean extra costs in terms of rebranding and promotion. I’ve asked several times for the cost of consultants’ reports and the cost of consultation, which already runs into the tens of thousands. At a time when people are feeling the pinch, we need the council to be delivering services and a vision for Wrexham not a vanity project.”

“I’m also concerned about the direction of travel city status could take us. Will city status justify greater urban sprawl, building new housing estates on open countryside? Wrexham has a proud history and heritage as a town and I want us to build on that heritage rather than bulldoze it.

“It’s wrong just 10 councillors seem determined to force this through, why on earth won’t they give the people who live and work here a genuine say?”

Wrexham Council have recently published a list that “identifies 10 key benefits that Wrexham could capitalise on if it becomes a city”, it is copied in full below:

1. 1. Increased sense of local pride.
   2. A platform to promote Wrexham.
   3. Opportunities for local institutions and businesses to raise their profile and attract investment. e.g. University
   4. More potential to attract skilled and ambitious students, employees and investors to Wrexham. e.g. Hospital
   5. Opportunities for the community, infrastructure, and services to grow and develop more sustainably.
   6. A focus for future branding and marketing campaigns.
   7. Greater awareness of Wrexham’s history, culture and language – attracting more visitors and supporting the local economy.
   8. More potential to attract major projects.
   9. The ability to collaborate with Welsh and UK cities on specific city projects and initiatives.
   10. Increased expectations of ‘place making’ that in turn create more vibrant places to live, work and invest.

Two further documents have also been published, here and here, the latter giving a preamble to the above list and an expanded version of the top ten key benefits as above.

If voting patterns at Full Council are an indication Wrexham Council’s Executive Board are set to rubber stamp the next step of the City Status at their meeting on the 7th with the submission due to go in shortly after.

Although a bid submission does not guarantee a win, there is a belief in some quarters that Wrexham could be the only bid from Wales and therefore could be highly likely to be chosen.