The Isle of Wight Council may soon support the idea of Newport becoming an official city, if a proposed motion put forward by Councillor Martin Oliver is accepted.
At next Wednesday’s Full Council meeting, Cllr Oliver will raise the prospect of the Isle of Wight Council entering a competition for Newport to be given the prestigious civic honour of city status.
Her Majesty The Queen has agreed for a competition to be held to grant city status to a select number of towns in the United Kingdom, to mark her Platinum Jubilee. Local authorities can enter this competition, showcasing their civic pride, interesting heritage and record of innovation, in order to make the case for awarding a town one of these honours.
It’s said to be widely recognised that the prestige associated with becoming a city can support efforts to boost prosperity and attract visitors.
The Isle of Wight is one of a minority of English counties without a city; whereas neighbouring Hampshire has 3.
Councillor Oliver proposes that the Council agrees to preparing a draft bid to nominate Newport for city status, as well as seeking the support of Newport & Carisbrooke Community Council as a bid partner alongside local businesses, organisations and the public.
If the motion is approved next week then the submission will go before the Council on 17th November for approval. The deadline is 8th December 2021.
hardly an accolade.
just an attempt to prove that the councils relentless benefit hutch housebuilding policy has wrecked enough Greenland and destroyed enough trees to achieve the status of a city
what financial benefits are to be had by councillors for running a city instead if a town.
a sad day for the island…it is meant to be a quiet and idyllic place…..not a concrete dead zone.
Why bother turning a ghost town into a city
Wouldnt it be better to first buy all the empty shops and rent them out at a affordable price.
What a… sChity Council
Just no. I don’t want to live in a city. I want to live in a town. Surely the local residents should be consulted before this is put forward ?
another layer of council and council bills
Only people that have never seen a city or actually good towns before will think Newport is anything special. There are other places far more deserving of the accolade with, you know, a thriving high street, selection of restaurants, entertainment, museums, culture, outdoor food stalls, huge department stores…
The council have done nothing for Newport, it has no soul and they’ve bled businesses dry – what cheek to then put forward the place to be considered a city.
Newport’s main attraction is a Morrison’s and an M&S!
What a waste of time has the old administration reappeared. how on earth can you justify the change from a market town to a city. Have we jumped to April the 1st, lets just concentrate your time to the real social and environmental issues and not fancy titles that can never be taken seriously.
I would rather the IWC focused their efforts and our funds on some of the more pressing issues at hand rather than this di*k swinging vanity project. A city without jobs and a dead centre is still a city without jobs and a dead centre etc…
What a lot of old “twaddle “.
Why represent filthy run down NEWPORT as a city ? Half the towns shops are derelict, the streets are filthy, many of the people are the same, I think Newport is the worst town on this Island. I have loved this Island because it has not yet got a CITY… do the people of this Island get to vote or just the council…
Stupid idea to have a city, without a fixed link !!
Who are these ‘filthy people’ you’re not so subtly referring to? I’m sure a fixed link would bring in huge amounts of new people for you to discriminate against, and any money would definitely not just evaporate from the island through the same channels it always has. Nevertheless I agree mostly. Newport would make a terrible city without serious regeneration, but that would involve trying to help all those filthy people you’re not so fond of
Must mean its easier to get planning permission.
Next there will be a congestion charge to drive through the city of newport……
So another councillor on a personal mission without the public’s backing.
“civic pride, interesting heritage and record of innovation”
Good luck with that then.
Can anybody name any other Island with a city ? . Being an Islander NO THANK YOU
Portsmouth (or Portsea Island) is an Island with a city.
I don’t think people in Newport would like to be another Portsmouth.
officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state
Oahu
Am I to believe that to be a city there has to be a cathedral present within its boundaries .
Church on the roundabout ?
We don’t have a cathedral on the Island let alone in Newport. That’s a main factor of a city. Also we have ferries which cost a fortune so people wouldn’t come to see our “city” or the non existent cathedral. There are more shop fronts empty than full in Newport! Pray tell me councillor Oliver what on earth makes you think that this island, (bearing in mind there is no island in the UK with a city on it) is capable of getting city status & what exactly will the council gain from it that would be passed on to the residents & traders of the town? Oh what’s that you say, nothing, diddly squat, zilch I thought so.
What a stupid idea.
What a stupid idea , was hoping for a different type of council after the last vote , nothing seems to be changing ,
OOOOOHHHHH PLEASE don’t embarrass us anymore trying to big up this dirty empty eyesore of Newport anymore.
Keep quiet and perhaps nobody will notice for Gods sake.
City are you kidding .. have any of the council ever lived in a city or know what constitutes one?
Just checking the day – oh no it’s not April 1st.
Hmm, and what has Newport got that would make it a City worth visiting?
Cathedral, nope.
Historical buildings? Oh yes, we have a roman Vila if you can find it.
A Castle, yes but that’s in Carisbrooke.
Great shopping centre, nope, its all moving out of town.
Almost forgot, we have a river, or is it a couple of small streams, and the best bit is a Harbour, well that’s what it is called.
Are our Councillors living in cloud cuckoo land?
Pretty shitty city…..
They are taking the fun out of April Fools day as it seems to happen every day now
Why oh why do these vanity projects and fantasies even occur in councillors’ heads ?
Surely there’s more responsible tasks, having a greater benefit to the community than this junk ?
Distraction politics – wait and see what policy changes get smuggled-in under the cover of this ‘enhancement’.
Unnecessary, irrelevant to the IOW, money-wasting, while other urgent IOW matters stand awaiting servicing.
Why not just go the whole hog and make IOW a Country ?
Or even it’s own planet ?