City Status for Colchester

City Status for Colchester?
The Cabinet Office has recently announced that there will be an opportunity for local authorities to apply for civic honours to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Colchester has applied for City Status twice before: in 1999 as part of the Millennium celebrations and again in 2001 as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002.

In its history Colchester was once a city of course. As ‘Colonia Claudia' Colchester was the first Capital of Roman Britain, but lost this status after AD410 when Britain had effectively ceased to be part of the Roman Empire.

What's happening? Destination Colchester, a community lead organisation group dedicated to celebrating Colchester, is championing a bid for Colchester to apply for city status. This is your chance for your voice to be heard so join in the debate and support the bid for City status for Colchester. Colchester Borough Council will be meeting on 23 March to decide whether to apply.

Support is essential for this application to be successful and Colchester is to receive City status. Why not take a few minutes to read through the Q&As below then let us know what you think by clicking here to leave us your thoughts: https://secure.colchester.gov.uk/surveys/City_Status/city_status.htm

Your questions answered We recognise that this subject can polarise opinion so we have conducted a quick poll of concerns and attempted to answer them so that a more informed debate can take place.

What are the benefits to Colchester becoming a city?
The benefits of being a city include:
• creating a sense of civic pride to be recognised as a city by HM The Queen.
• Raising Colchester's profile as a place to live, work, visit and do business.
• Attract business to the new City boosting local economy
• Be recognised as an area for regeneration, investment and development
• Be put on the tourism map as the newest city in UK
• Opportunities for companies to re locate to the new vibrant city
• Improve job prospects
• Secure investment opportunities
• Recognition as a centre of excellence with our wealth of treasures including University, Garrison Headquarters, Colchester Weston Homes Stadium, Colchester Castle, Roman Heritage, award winning Theatre, Firstsite - the new visual arts facility and conference centre, Constable Country, Sailing centres and proximity to London and beautiful countryside.

o Endorsement - City Status is an honour conferred by H.M. The Queen and would send a very significant signal of confidence in Colchester and its future.

o Confidence - Colchester is already experiencing significant change and this will continue. It is the fastest growing district in population terms in the country. In fact, The Centre for Cities stated in 2010 that, if Colchester was a city, it would rank as one of the country's most buoyant economies.

o Profile - Attaining City Status would be a spur for further inward investment and job growth, positive international and national media coverage and a sense of enhanced civic pride for many local people. Colchester would be in the media spotlight which would be an opportunity to say more about Colchester than its traditional associations with the Romans, oysters and the Garrison so there would be an opportunity to change its image too. Currently there are no cities in the county of Essex which is relatively rare in the UK.

How much will it cost?
The Government recognises that we are in a period of austerity so ‘glossy' expensive publications will not be required. Similarly, by working with Destination Colchester, Colchester Borough Council will save time on people collating the application. It is anticipated that the application will be designed by people in Colchester's creative community so costs will be kept to an absolute minimum.

Do we get more money from the Government if Colchester becomes a city?
No.

Will my Council Tax go up?
No. Being a city will NOT affect your Council Tax.
The Government froze Council Tax in last June's Budget so it won't go up in 2011/12. The Government will then decide what will happen after that.

Will my Business Rates go up?
No. Being a city will NOT affect your Business Rates.
Business Rates are not frozen and they are the subject of a Government consultation at the moment about how they are allocated. The Government will increase Business Rates by 4.6% in 2011/12 and this was based on the Retail Price Index last September.

How much will it cost to change everything to a city?
In these austere times a pragmatic approach will be taken. The Council's logo doesn't include the word ‘Borough' so that could still be used for instance. Other changes would take place over a period of time when something needed to be updated rather than cost more now.

Will we lose ‘Britain's oldest recorded town'?
No! It is possible to retain ‘Britain's oldest recorded town' with the addition of ‘...and newest city'.

The town centre core, which is already a Conservation Area, could be designated ‘The Old Town'. This would actually put the focus on the location of the original Roman city and could be an added advantage in that the town would be retained within the city which would help to preserve and develop the vitality of the town centre.

What area would be covered?
The Borough of Colchester would apply through Colchester Borough Council. To see a map of the Borough click here: http://www.colchester.gov.uk/Info_page_two_pic_2_det.asp?art_id=9411&sec_id=1604
However, the application also needs a ‘city centre' to be defined. Our historians advise that this could simply be within the Roman walls as this would fit with the original extent of Colonia Claudia, the first Roman City.

Wouldn't that be too small?
No, there are currently 55 cities in England and Wales and 30 of these are smaller than Colchester.

Don't we need a Cathedral?
No! A Cathedral is not a requirement to be a city - only 17 of 55 cities have one.

I live in a village, what happens to us if Colchester becomes a city?
City status makes no difference to Planning law and regulations so rural communities will still have their distinct identities, which would make the experience of the Borough as a city even richer.

Wasn't Colchester a city anyway?
Yes! Colchester was the first Roman city as it was called a ‘colonia' by the Emperor Claudius when he came here in AD49. In fact Colchester was the capital of Roman Britain when London was just a trading post!

Why should we apply for city status?
o Endorsement - City Status is an honour conferred by H.M. The Queen and would send a very significant signal of confidence in Colchester and its future.

o Confidence - Colchester is already experiencing significant change and this will continue. It is the fastest growing district in population terms in the country. In fact, The Centre for Cities stated in 2010 that, if Colchester was a city, it would rank as one of the country's most buoyant economies.

o Profile - Attaining City Status would be a spur for further inward investment and job growth, positive international and national media coverage and a sense of enhanced civic pride for many local people. Colchester would be in the media spotlight which would be an opportunity to say more about Colchester than its traditional associations with the Romans, oysters and the Garrison so there would be an opportunity to change its image too. Currently there are no cities in the county of Essex which is relatively rare in the UK.

Will it mean that Colchester gets bigger?
Colchester is already experiencing significant change and this will continue. It is the fastest growing district in the country with £3bn being invested in four regeneration areas. According to the mid-2009 population estimates, Colchester's population stands at 177,100 people. Colchester is the largest district in Essex, accounting for 12.7% of the County population. It is also the fastest growing district in Essex and has seen an increase of 13.5% since mid-2001 (21,100 people).

Colchester's population is estimated to grow to approximately 215,900 people in 2021, an increase of 21.9% (38,800 people) over a 12 year period. This is the largest population growth in Essex County by 6.5% (Tendring having the next highest growth at 15.4%).

The Council's Planners are already taking this growth into account and you can find out more here: http://www.colchester.gov.uk/service_landing_level_3.asp?sec_id=1283

What are the criteria for city status?
The Government has not published any criteria but the guidance does need information on history, identity, traditions, famous residents, associations with Royalty and other distinctive features. You can see the guidance for yourself here: http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/Civic-Honours-Entry-Guidelines.pdf

What other towns will be applying for city status in 2012?
It is difficult to tell but we have heard that Bolton, Bury St Edmunds, Chelmsford, Southend, Cheltenham, Ipswich, Luton, Medway towns (Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood), Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Perth, Readying, Wrexham and Corby may be applying.