Livingston still has plenty to celebrate in its 60th birthday year despite losing out in its bid to become Scotland’s newest city, West Lothian Council have said.
Dunfermline was named as the eighth Scottish city to be awarded city status, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The former town in Fife was chosen along with seven other places in the UK following a competition held once every 10 years.
The Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition required applicants to demonstrate their unique communities and distinct local identity.
Livingston - the largest town in the Lothians - had hoped the honour would top off the New Town’s celebrations of its 60th anniversary this year.
Winning city status was also seen as key to securing internal investment not only in Livingston but across the county as the profile of the area would have been raised with city status.
Perth was one of the previous competition winners, becoming a city as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. Stirling was a winner in 2002. Research shows that Perth has seen its local economy expand by 12 per cent in the decade it was granted city status.
A spokesperson for West Lothian Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Livingston is a fantastic place to live, work and do business, and would make an excellent choice for city status.
“We believe the bid submitted highlighted all the positive factors for Livingston, such as its unique identity, status as an economic hub and strong sense of community.
“Whilst we are disappointed that the bid was not successful, the strength of our submission demonstrates how far Livingston has come in the last 60 years, developing from a collection of small villages to the largest settlement in the Lothians out with the capital.”
Maria MacAulay, an SNP councillor for Livingston South said: “I have to say I am disappointed at Livingston losing out on city status. Especially as we celebrate our 60th birthday this year. Livingston is an expanding town and one I am proud to call home.”
There is a Livingston connection to Scotland’s newest city. Former Livingston FC manager Jim Leishman, now Provost of Fife, welcomed Dunfermline’s successful bid.
The Scottish bids that missed out were Dumfries, Elgin, Greenock, Oban, St Andrews and South Ayrshire.
The other locations granted city status were Bangor in Northern Ireland, Colchester, Doncaster and Milton Keynes in England, Douglas in the Isle of Man, Stanley in the Falkland Islands and Wrexham in Wales.
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