Dudley takes on the world in bid to become city with global opposition announced

That means it is up against the likes of George Town in the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and Port Stanley in the Falklands.

A total of 39 towns were today finalised as bidding to become a city.

It was also revealed Wolverhampton has put in a bid for permission to call its mayor Lord Mayor.

It is the fourth time Dudley has submitted a bid to become a city. It has won the overwhelming backing of politicians of all parties, who emphasise its strong industrial heritage and big national attractions like Dudley Zoo and Castle and the Black Country Living Museum.

It is also undergoing huge change, with huge investment. Marco Longhi, Dudley North MP, said: “Dudley is in the middle of a £1billion regeneration programme which is set to transform the town and wider borough. It includes the very light rail innovation at Castle Hill, the new higher education and skills investment into the town and the new leisure centre, to name a few.”

For the first time, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies were able to apply for the title as part of the competition to Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June. Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay said it is “fitting” that the competition is extended to “include those parts of the world” which hold the Queen “so dearly”.

As part of their bids, applicants were asked to talk about the distinct identity and community which means they deserves to be a city.

The Cabinet Office said winning city status can provide a boost to local communities, opening up new opportunities for people who live there, as has been the case with previous winners such as Perth and Preston, where the local economies benefited from their improved national and global standing.

For the first time, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies were eligible to apply for the title as part of the competition.

In Wrexham the bid was submitted despite opposition from some that it was diverting away from challenges facing the town. Wolverhampton, which was made a city in 2000, is hoping for an upgrade to allow it to have a Lord Mayor.

Mr Barclay said: “It’s fitting that, as we look towards celebrating the 70-year reign of Her Majesty the Queen, we extend the competition to include those parts of the world which also hold her so dearly.

“A sincere best of luck to all those who have applied.”

The places bidding to become cities:

• Alcester, Warwickshire

• Ballymena, County Antrim

• Bangor, County Down

• Blackburn, Lancashire

• Bolsover, Derbyshire

• Boston, Lincolnshire

• Bournemouth, Dorset

• Coleraine, County Londonderry

• Colchester, Essex

• Crawley, West Sussex

• Crewe, Cheshire

• Doncaster, South Yorkshire

• Dorchester, Dorset

• Douglas, Isle of Man

• Dudley, West Midlands

• Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway

• Dunfermline, Fife

• Elgin, Moray

• George Town, Cayman Islands

• Gibraltar, Gibraltar

• Goole, East Yorkshire

• Greenock, Renfrewshire

• Guildford, Surrey

• Livingston, West Lothian

• Marazion, Cornwall

• Medway, Kent

• Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire

• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

• Newport and Carisbrooke, Hampshire

• Northampton, Northamptonshire

• Oban, Argyll and Bute

• Reading, Berkshire

• Peel, Isle of Man

• St Andrews, Fife

• Stanley, Falkland Islands

• South Ayrshire, Ayrshire and Arran

• Warrington, Cheshire

• Warwick, Warwickshire

• Wrexham, Clwyd

The places applying for Lord Mayor status:

• Bath, Somerset

• Derby, Derbyshire

• Gloucester,

• Gloucestershire

• Inverness, Inverness

• Lancaster, Lancashire

• Lincoln, Lincolnshire

• Newport, Gwent

• Perth, Perth and Kinross

• Southampton, Hampshire

• Sunderland, Tyne and Wear

• Wolverhampton, West Midlands

• Worcester, Worcestershire