Reading Borough Council has submitted a bid for City Status.
(editor: I think this is the fourth time the town has done so. Let's hope the place is lucky this time - Reading already feels like a city).
The competition forms part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 and the winning new city will be announced next summer. Designed in consultation with residents, the voluntary sector and the business community, Reading's bid is a celebration of everything which makes Reading such a great place to live, work and visit, in particular the people, communities and the spirit which sets it apart.
In recent decades, city status has been granted through a series of competitive bids, managed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (or its predecessors). The deadline for applications was 8 December 2021 and new awards of city status will be announced in 2022. City status is officially granted by ‘letters patent’ – a document officially issued by the monarch.
Since AngloSaxon times, its bid reads, Reading has had enduring regional, national and international significance.
From the 10th century Reading Minster was a regional centre for religious life. With the royal foundation of Reading Abbey 900 years ago it became a European political powerhouse from the reign of Henry I to Henry VIII. In the 19th and 20th centuries, its industries – beer, biscuits and bulbs - gave it global renown.
Today, its world class research, the innovations of the many multi-national and local companies, and the strength of its community and cultural offerings illustrates Reading’s continued impact and influence.
As the county town of Berkshire, Reading is the economic hub of the Thames Valley, from where key regional health, education, retail and other services are provided to a much wider catchment on a city scale. It is a global technology town with an international community.
More recently, Reading has been consistently ranked first or equal first with the City of Oxford in PwC’s ‘Good Growth for Cities’ Index. This measures the performance of the UK’s largest cities against 10 quality of life and economic indicators.
Reading is internationally known as a base for knowledge-based sectors including information and communications technology, bio-pharma, fin-tech, medi-tech and food-tech – some of the most important sectors for innovation and growth.
This mix, made up of 7,045 businesses (ONS, 2019), has made Reading highly resilient to recessions – and given the local economy a powerful ability to ‘bounce back’.
Previously a hub for service sectors such as insurance, finance and customer support, the town is now a focal point for advanced business services including banking, accountancy, legal and consultancy services.
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