Middlesbrough City

e campaign over the coming weeks the Mayor plans to visit primary schools across the town to drum up interest in the bid – and hear the youngsters’ views on why their town deserves the enhanced status. Mr Mallon said: “Middlesbrough is already a city in all but name, and these young people will leave the Queen in absolutely no doubt that this town warrants city status, but also how city status can help us to boost our town’s future.”

The town is one of a number bidding for sought-after city status as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year. City status has the potential to raise the profile of an area and attract both investment and tourism, and work is well under way to make as strong a case as possible for Middlesbrough. A range of partners including the Council, local businesses, and Middlesbrough Partnership, have been paving the way both for the formal part of the process, and the public campaign in the run-up to next year’s announcement. The bid is also being supported by partners from across Teesside and the wider Tees Valley because of the boost that having a city would give the whole area. A formal bid, to be delivered by the end of May, will feature a detailed profile of the town, photographs of the town’s key sites and landmarks and a summary of why Middlesbrough deserves to be a city. The campaign to support the bid is being launched today and will run up to the submission in May and beyond until the end of the year. Everyone will have the opportunity to get involved to raise Middlesbrough’s profile both regionally and nationally, with a series of events under the banner ‘Middlesbrough – A City At Heart’. The campaign website www.lovemiddlesbrough.com is also being launched today and the town centre is decked out with new lamp column banners and poster sites supporting the bid. A series of competitions and other activities are planned to make sure that the bid is everyone’s bid. Mr Mallon said: “The young people of Middlesbrough are its future and that’s why it’s so important that they are at the heart of this campaign.

“Historically Middlesbrough is at the heart of an area with a proud industrial heritage that is the match of anywhere in the world.

“Middlesbrough already competes on an equal footing with other towns and cities across the UK and beyond, but city status will help us move forward and on to the next level.

“This is a town confident of its place in history – but it is vital that it can look to the future with equal confidence. It’s important that, even in these difficult times, we still find ways to take our town forward.

“We are already a city in everything but name – it’s hard to think of anywhere with a stronger case.”

Financier, property developer and Middlesbrough advocate Andy Preston, of Green Lane Capital, which is behind the redevelopment of Kirby College and Gibson House as well as several other projects on Teesside, said: “Winning the city bid would be great - it represents a coming of age for a big proud town like Middlesbrough.

“Although winning isn’t critical to the changes we need to make to propel the town to a successful future, it would boost our confidence and fast-track our journey to becoming an exciting and energetic 21st century city.”

Les Southerton, Chairman of the Middlesbrough Partnership, said: “City status for Middlesbrough represents a golden opportunity for the town and the area as a whole.

“The city status campaign is our chance to get out there and shout about what makes our town and our area so great.

“We’ve already had good news about steel making this week, so we need to try to keep positive news coming, even in these difficult times.

“I am sure everyone across Teesside and beyond will throw their weight behind this campaign which could herald the start of a whole new era for Middlesbrough.”