Perhaps the biggest surprise new city is sleepy St Asaph in Denbighshire. The population of 3,400 makes it the second smallest city in the UK behind St David’s in Pembrokeshire. Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan said she was 'proud and delighted' the town had achieved city status. "In June, towns and cities across the United Kingdom will host celebrations to mark 60 years of Her Majesty the Queen as our ruling monarch,” she continued. "St Asaph will be able to take part in these celebrations with a new sense of vigour and pride in their new city status."St Asaph
Perhaps the biggest surprise new city is sleepy St Asaph in Denbighshire. The population of 3,400 makes it the second smallest city in the UK behind St David’s in Pembrokeshire. Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan said she was 'proud and delighted' the town had achieved city status. "In June, towns and cities across the United Kingdom will host celebrations to mark 60 years of Her Majesty the Queen as our ruling monarch,” she continued. "St Asaph will be able to take part in these celebrations with a new sense of vigour and pride in their new city status."St AsaphPerth is set to become Scotland’s seventh city. It was the country’s first capital but its city status was removed in 1975 as part of a local government shake-up. Dr John Hulbert, provost of Perth and Kinross Council, said: "I am delighted that official city status has been restored to Perth. Everyone in the council shares my excitement at the prospect of a glorious new chapter in Perth's long history. "Even although city status was summarily removed when local government was reorganised, Perth has continued to be known as the 'Fair City'. Full restoration of its ancient dignity is long overdue." Perth and North Perthshire SNP MP Pete Wishart called the city status bid a 'brilliant campaign'.PerthChelmsford, home of the Essex County cricket team and Anglia Ruskin University are in celebration after the Council leader Roy whitehead said it was “a tremendous honour.” The City has a population of approximately 100,000 people living in the Essex suburbs. "The 'city of Chelmsford' sounds a lot better than the 'town of Chelmsford', so if we're going to get investment we'll be better off as a city," Whitehead said. "I would like to congratulate everyone at Chelmsford Borough Council and elsewhere who worked so hard and put such a compelling bid together, which has led to this honour for our community. Robert Shepherd Chelmsford's Mayor said: "This is very welcome news for Chelmsford and everybody who lives and works within the city.ChelmsfordSouthend's new airport did not help its bid for city statusStobartReading was among the largest towns by population that missed out on city status. The council has a hat trick of unsuccessful bid attempts. It missed out in the 2000 Millennium bid, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 and now the Diamond Jubilee.ReadingWrexham missed out but the council and residents were still big enough to congratulate neighbour St Asaph for its winning bid. Wrexham has a population of 63,000 and is the largest town in North Wales.Wrexham
Residents of Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph are coming to terms with their new status as cities to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The trio of unlikely winners beat off competition from 22 other towns including Reading, Huddersfield and Wrexham.
They were granted city status after local authorities were invited to submit bids for enhanced status in 2011.
Initially, only a single new city was expected to be granted the status but it was awarded to towns in England, Scotland and Wales "in recognition of the significance of every part of the UK".
