DORCHESTER has officially submitted its bid to receive city status as part of celebrations to mark the Queen's 2022 Platinum Jubilee - with the town's mayor saying its strong links to royalty should go in its favour.
Dorchester is one of 39 places across the UK and British Overseas Territories to apply to win city status as part of a competition being run to mark the Queen's 70-year reign.
Mayor of Dorchester Gareth Jones said the town has a 'viable case' to become an official city due to its rich history and heritage. He thinks Poundbury - which was the vision of Prince Charles and built on Duchy of Cornwall land - could also help the bid.
Dorchester mayor Gareth Jones said: "Dorchester has a viable case.
"It would be great to have that status because it would add to Dorchester's uniqueness and likely increase people's pride through living in a city.
"For those that thought applying was a waste of money, we have a strategy of raising Dorchester's profile through its heritage and history, which would in turn boost its tourism economy.
"Milestones have been reached in the past, which resulted to increase footfall - the development of Poundbury is a prime example of that.
"One criteria to receive city status is to have strong links to royalty, which we have through Poundbury's development on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
"For Dorchester, receiving this status would not be a short-term goal. The area has long-term ambitions through its rich history."
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: "Today’s 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 historic, 70-year reign.
Winning city status can provide a boost to local communities and open up new opportunities for people who live there, as is the case with previous winners Perth in Scotland, and Preston in Lancashire, where the local economies benefited from their improved national and global standing.
The Cabinet Office has also announced the 12 cities which are vying for Lord Provost or Lord Mayor status, including Newport and Perth who both previously won city status on The Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
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.
Chair of the Preston Business Improvement District John Boydell said: “Preston winning city status brought attention to the city, from the buying public and from those thinking of investing in the city. I think it brought Preston to mind as a place to do business."
The final decision will be taken in spring 2022.
List of places which have recently applied for city status
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
Wrexham, Clwyd
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