Wrexham has been awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, it can be revealed. The north Wales town has been handed the prestigious status thanks to a competition to celebrate the jubilee celebrations next month.
Wrexham has previously applied to be classed as a city on three separate occasions - in 2000, 2002 and 2012 - but was unsuccessful each time. But, last December, Wrexham Council’s executive board unanimously agreed to make a bid for city status once again. To get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free, click here.
The competition to receive civic honours was last run 10 years ago to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, when St Asaph, Chelmsford and Perth were awarded city status. This time around, 38 places across the UK and British Overseas Territories made applications, and Wrexham is one of eight towns that has won the royal honour.
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As well as Wrexham, the other towns selected for city status are Colchester, Doncaster and Milton Keynes in England, Dunfermline in Scotland, Bangor in Northern Ireland, Douglas in the Isle of Man, and Stanley in the Falkland Islands. The Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition - which was open to overseas territories and crown dependencies for the first time - required applicants to demonstrate how their unique communities and distinct local identity meant they deserved to be awarded city status. They were also required to highlight their royal associations and cultural heritage.
It’s hoped that winning city status can provide a boost to local communities, with research showing that the economy in Perth, which became a city in 2012, has expanded by 12% in the past decade. Newport is another city which became so thanks to a jubilee, being awarded the status in 2002, and Wrexham will now become Wales’ seventh city - along with Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bangor, St Davids, and St Asaph.
“Wrexham has a wonderful history and an exciting future and I am absolutely delighted to see it awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations,” said secretary of state for Wales, Simon Hart. “There is already much for Wrexham to be proud of and I hope city status will bring further recognition for everything the community has to offer and brings further opportunities for Wrexham’s prosperity and growth.”
Wrexham and the other 37 applicants had their cases put forward to be evaluated by a panel of experts and ministers from the cabinet office, before recommendations were put to Her Majesty The Queen. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Steve Barclay, said: “I am delighted that a record number of locations have been awarded the prestigious city status as part of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
“What was clear to me during the process of assessing each application was the pride that people felt for their communities, local cultural heritage and the Royal Family. As we celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s colossal contribution to society, I am thrilled that we are able to recognise some of the many places that make Britain great.
“It is also incredibly reflective of Her Majesty’s global outlook and years of international service that applicants from the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have been selected as winners for the first time. I look forward to the world coming together to show our pride and gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II on the Jubilee weekend.”
Meanwhile, culture secretary Nadine Dorries said: “City status is a huge accolade and I congratulate our eight brilliant winners. This competition showcases the best of Britain and the Overseas Territories and will act as a lasting legacy of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”
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