Dudley applied for City Status

SimonTheSoundMan · May 26th, 2011, 11:34 AM

Dudley are putting themselves forward for city status.

Quote:

Council bosses have highlighted Dudley’s rich history and heritage as the “jewel in the crown” of an application being submitted for city status.

In 2012 one borough in Britain will be given the honour of city status to mark the Queen’s Jubilee and Dudley will be among a number of places putting a bid in ahead of tomorrow’s (FRI) 4pm deadline.

And council bosses in Dudley have spoken of the pride local people should have in the area, which boasts a history that other areas envy.

Councillor Les Jones, leader of the council, said:
"We are proud of our borough and with a population of more than 300,000 we feel that our bid is entirely justified.

"Our history and heritage dates back millions of years with a geological make-up which laid the foundations for us being at the heart of the industrial revolution.

“The city status designation is being made to mark the Queen's Jubilee and we also have many royal connections and history. This includes a reference in the Domesday book of 1086 and of course our medieval castle which is certainly the jewel in our crown.”

Councillor Jones also stressed that careful consideration had been taken to ensure the borough’s four main towns kept their individual identity, before the decision was taken to submit the bid.

He said:
“The nature of our bid has been carefully considered as our borough is made up of four main township areas, all of which must maintain their own unique, individual identity.

“In addition to Dudley town centre we have Stourbridge, with its fantastic glass making heritage, the recently regenerated Halesowen and of course, Brierley Hill which is the focus of long-term regeneration plans and home to a superb retail offer in the form of Merry Hill.

“We have exciting regeneration proposals across all of our towns and it must be recognised that city status is more than just a name change as it also holds great value when it comes to attracting investment from abroad.”

The bid will be submitted tomorrow (FRI) and the winners will be announced in the first half of 2012.

gouldy · May 26th, 2011, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimonTheSoundMan

Dudley are putting themselves forward for city status.

[/LEFT]

To be fair, it probably should have city status.

It has a castle for a start and is a bigger place than Wolvo, and we have city status. Wolverhampton's population is like 270k? or something, is it? And doesn't have a cathedral or anything, it's not a hub or centre of commerce in any major way, and yet has city status.

So, Dudley is probably fully justified in having city status.

Although it would be weird to think of it as one

Butterfield · May 26th, 2011, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gouldy

Although it would be weird to think of it as one

Exactly. Dudley Metropolitan Borough is a collection of different towns for a start with no true heart seeing as Dudley town itself wouldn't exactly make for a thrilling city centre. It isn't even in the centre of the borough! It just wouldn't be right as a city, unlike Wolverhampton.

vanson · June 5th, 2011, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gouldy

To be fair, it probably should have city status.

It has a castle for a start and is a bigger place than Wolvo, and we have city status. Wolverhampton's population is like 270k? or something, is it? And doesn't have a cathedral or anything, it's not a hub or centre of commerce in any major way, and yet has city status.

So, Dudley is probably fully justified in having city status.

Although it would be weird to think of it as one

Being a proud Brummie in this odd country of ours i agree that Dudley should have city status.Population wise not sure mainly because no-one knows how many people there are in this country of ours,never mind determining the population of Dudley.I think its a better proposition than Sandwell who applied for city status a few years back.Dudley was in the doomsday book but is,nt Sandwell formerley Warley.ODD COUNTRY OF OURS.

feltip · May 26th, 2011, 09:38 PM

The requirement for a cathedral is a bit of a myth; there initially was a link through dioceses' but the ultimate decider has always been the Crown (although if you look to the cities before 1189 they didn't need the Crown's agreement but that's getting into the real nitty gritty). Birmingham in fact had no cathedral when it was bestowed City Status as St Philips didn't become the Cathedral until 1905 nearly 20 years after gaining city status.

Wolverhampton is a millennium city gaining it's city status in 2000

As for being a collection of towns

you only have to look 50 miles north to the Six Towns that make up Stoke on Trent.

SimonTheSoundMan · May 27th, 2011, 11:04 AM

Or all the towns that make up Manchester (borough and greater). Places like Truro and Ely are cities and have populations of 15,000 and 17,000 respectively.

If Dudley doesn't get city status, I hope MK does.

OperateOnMe · May 30th, 2011, 04:14 PM

I hope Dudley gets city status, it will just add too the oopmth to rename West Midlands to Greater Birmingham and divide Birmingham City coucil into bits, similar to the Greater London Authority. We can have one super-mayor and really make a difference to our quality of lives and potentially the rest of England.

slother · May 30th, 2011, 08:15 PM

I have no objection to Dudley becoming a city. You can all breathe a huge sigh of relief.

jason87 · June 2nd, 2011, 12:02 PM

Are there not over 20 towns all applying for City Status? Including Reading, MK, Blackpool and some other places bigger than dudley.

I can't see it going to dudley (she can only give 2 out can't she?) but fair play if it does.

daumal · June 2nd, 2011, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason87

Are there not over 20 towns all applying for City Status? Including Reading, MK, Blackpool and some other places bigger than dudley.

I can't see it going to dudley (she can only give 2 out can't she?) but fair play if it does.

Well Reading's the only non-city in the country that's bigger than Dudley, so it's also the only bigger place applying!

My money's definitely on Reading for this one, and MK's coronation can't be too far off either.

Rigadon · June 5th, 2011, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daumal

Well Reading's the only non-city in the country that's bigger than Dudley, so it's also the only bigger place applying!

My money's definitely on Reading for this one, and MK's coronation can't be too far off either.

Medway is bigger

SimonTheSoundMan · June 6th, 2011, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rigadon

Medway is bigger

Please excuse my ignorance, but where is Medway?

NeilM · June 6th, 2011, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimonTheSoundMan

Please excuse my ignorance, but where is Medway?

I assume he means Medway in Kent?

daumal · June 6th, 2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rigadon

Medway is bigger

Not according to the 2001 census.

305,155 against 249,488. That's for the area covered by the relevant councils, which presumably would be the body applying for city status. Then again, that puts Dudley above Reading and behind the Wirral and Wigan, so it's an inexact science.

Rigadon · January 2nd, 2012, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daumal

Not according to the 2001 census.

305,155 against 249,488. That's for the area covered by the relevant councils, which presumably would be the body applying for city status. Then again, that puts Dudley above Reading and behind the Wirral and Wigan, so it's an inexact science.

I was referring to Reading rather than Dudley.

Pebble.Mill · June 3rd, 2011, 04:27 AM

Solihull City Council anybody?
:whistle:

SimonTheSoundMan · June 3rd, 2011, 11:18 AM

Sandwell City Council?

I have lived in the Black County for 17 years and still have no idea where Sandwell is.

Jack.Westwood · June 5th, 2011, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimonTheSoundMan

I have lived in the Black County for 17 years and still have no idea where Sandwell is.

Its not just me then

djay · June 3rd, 2011, 08:20 PM

Sandwell aka the real west birmingham

Butterfield · June 6th, 2011, 02:48 AM

I still can't see Dudley being a city. I don't know about the likes of Stoke and Medway but with Dudley there is no real "heart" - Dudley town itself is rather insiginificant these days with Stourbridge and Brierley Hill perhaps playing more important parts in the borough. Coseley is verging on Bilston/Wolverhampton, Sedgley and "The Gornals" tend to stick together and think of themselves as villages and Kingswinford is just middle-of-nowhere overspill. It just doesn't make me think of a city but more of a tight collection of different towns, strangely united only by the collective name given by small-town Dudley.

May 26th, 2011, 09:38 PM	#5
feltip Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Balsall Heath :Birmingham Posts: 11,603 Likes (Received): 50	The requirement for a cathedral is a bit of a myth; there initially was a link through dioceses' but the ultimate decider has always been the Crown (although if you look to the cities before 1189 they didn't need the Crown's agreement but that's getting into the real nitty gritty). Birmingham in fact had no cathedral when it was bestowed City Status as St Philips didn't become the Cathedral until 1905 nearly 20 years after gaining city status. Wolverhampton is a millennium city gaining it's city status in 2000 As for being a collection of towns you only have to look 50 miles north to the Six Towns that make up Stoke on Trent. __________________ Regeneration - Changing Places and Transforming Lives. \|Birmingham Central Blog \| Feltip Flickr \| Twitter GREATER BIRMINGHAM

June 3rd, 2011, 08:20 PM	#19
djay Just Incredible Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 2,958 Likes (Received): 3	Sandwell aka the real west birmingham __________________ Visit the blog for my group, Taylor Made - http://taylormademusic.tumblr.com What's your name? Where're you from? You got a dream? I'll sell you one.

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May 27th, 2011, 11:04 AM	#6
SimonTheSoundMan Unregistered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,458 Likes (Received): 129	Or all the towns that make up Manchester (borough and greater). Places like Truro and Ely are cities and have populations of 15,000 and 17,000 respectively. If Dudley doesn't get city status, I hope MK does.

May 30th, 2011, 04:14 PM	#7
OperateOnMe Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Greater Birmingham (London) Posts: 663 Likes (Received): 4	I hope Dudley gets city status, it will just add too the oopmth to rename West Midlands to Greater Birmingham and divide Birmingham City coucil into bits, similar to the Greater London Authority. We can have one super-mayor and really make a difference to our quality of lives and potentially the rest of England.

May 30th, 2011, 08:15 PM	#8
slother Heart of tofu Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sheffield Posts: 295 Likes (Received): 10	I have no objection to Dudley becoming a city. You can all breathe a huge sigh of relief.

June 2nd, 2011, 12:02 PM	#9
jason87 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 65 Likes (Received): 0	Are there not over 20 towns all applying for City Status? Including Reading, MK, Blackpool and some other places bigger than dudley. I can't see it going to dudley (she can only give 2 out can't she?) but fair play if it does.

June 3rd, 2011, 04:27 AM	#16
Pebble.Mill Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 211 Likes (Received): 2	Solihull City Council anybody? :whistle:

June 3rd, 2011, 11:18 AM	#17
SimonTheSoundMan Unregistered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,458 Likes (Received): 129	Sandwell City Council? I have lived in the Black County for 17 years and still have no idea where Sandwell is.

June 6th, 2011, 02:48 AM	#20
Butterfield lime-hating shrublet Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: British Leyland Posts: 18,554 Likes (Received): 222	I still can't see Dudley being a city. I don't know about the likes of Stoke and Medway but with Dudley there is no real "heart" - Dudley town itself is rather insiginificant these days with Stourbridge and Brierley Hill perhaps playing more important parts in the borough. Coseley is verging on Bilston/Wolverhampton, Sedgley and "The Gornals" tend to stick together and think of themselves as villages and Kingswinford is just middle-of-nowhere overspill. It just doesn't make me think of a city but more of a tight collection of different towns, strangely united only by the collective name given by small-town Dudley.