Reading has submitted its bid for City Status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022

Designed in consultation with residents, the voluntary sector and the business community, the bid is a celebration of everything Reading which makes it such a great place to live, work and visit, in particular the people, the communities and the spirit which set it apart. The bid document can be found at https://www.reading.gov.uk/citystatusbid

Council Leader Jason Brock said:

“The Council is proud to submit this bid on behalf of Reading which we believe makes a compelling case for City Status.

Everybody has their own ideas about what makes Reading so special and we have captured those in the bid document. Our powerful and resilient economy, our rich history, our unrivalled connectivity, our vibrant cultural and arts scene, our glorious diversity, our amazing voluntary sector and our strides towards zero carbon, all come together to create the unique blend which is Reading and which makes it such a great place to live, work and visit.

It is important to me personally that we use City Status to boost our plans for levelling up locally. As successful a town as Reading already is, we also know there are people in some of our communities that do not benefit from that success. A successful bid would help open up new opportunities for those residents, particularly in terms of new skills and training opportunities. 

 The support for Reading’s bid has been clear and we thank everyone for that tremendous support. Over the coming weeks we will be sharing individual testimonies from residents, businesses, partners and the community and voluntary sector about why they think Reading deserves to be a city. We are ambitious for Reading and, whatever the outcome, the bid has given us an opportunity to celebrate everything great about it.”

Participating local authorities have been invited to submit their bids based on evidence under the following headings: Distinct identity; Civic pride; Cultural infrastructure, interesting heritage, history and traditions; Vibrant and welcoming community; Record of innovation; Sound governance and administration; Associations with Royalty; Other particularly distinctive features, age, residents or communities who have made widely recognised significant contributions to society.

A final decision is expected from Government next year as part of the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations.

Image above the Thames copyright www.jsaerial.co.uk.