Restoring Perth's City Status
To become a "city", a town must be of significant size, and be the regional centre for administration, commerce, education, culture and health care, and it ought to be a legal centre with District and Sheriff courts. It should be prosperous, with an expanding population, and a well-run council capable of providing leadership for the inhabitants of a large area. Perth is all of these things and more, and is now ready to resume its former position as a City and help shape the development of a modern forward-looking Scotland.
Perth is a city in everything but name and in the year of our 800th anniversary celebrations the time is right for Perth to reclaim its official title and boast the accolade 'Fair City' with full justification.
Our campaign to restore city status is being driven by Dr John Hulbert, the Provost of Perth and Kinross and is acclaimed by all the political parties in the Council. We also have very active support from the local community, many local businesses, the local media, celebrities and politicians. Momentum continues to build and activities are being planned to ensure as many people as possible will have the opportunity to get behind our campaign as it progresses.
But first, a little history about our city status?
Perth has been known as 'The Fair City', since the publication of Sir Walter Scott's novel, 'The Fair Maid of Perth' in 1828. In 1396, when the action in the novel, the battle between Clan Chattan and Clan Mackay on the North Inch, took place in front of King James I, Perth was the de facto capital of Scotland, the seat and crowning place of the Scottish Kings and the home of the Scottish Court, where the Parliament and the Church Council met.
The epithet 'City' has never been granted to Perth. Like Edinburgh and Glasgow, Perth's status as a "City" with "Lord" Provost had developed from ancient times without any formal acknowledgement. Centuries of tradition were its justification.
City status was removed from Perth in 1975 when the Wheatley Commission reorganised local government in Scotland into two tiers. Perth & Kinross District Council was left with much reduced powers at the time, and the rights to use the appellation 'City', and the title 'Lord' Provost, although recognised for hundreds of years, were removed.
In 1996, the full range of powers was restored to Perth, which is now a regional capital of significance in the heart of Scotland. However city status was not restored, nor was the title 'Lord' Provost.
In Perth, in modern times, people have continued to embrace the title 'The Fair City' and sought to ensure that their city lives up to the accolade: a clean city, a green city and one that values its natural environment. However, since 1975 the title 'The Fair City' has sounded a little hollow.
Perth 800 and our campaign to restore city status
We have been working on plans for our city status bid since 2007 and had originally planned to submit our application earlier this year. The justification was to be the year long festival of events celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Royal Charter granted by King William the Lion in 1210. However, we now know that there will be a competition to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. This will include a competition for Civic Honours allowing towns to be nominated for city status. For the first time there will also be a competition for the title of Lord Mayoralty/Lord Provostship.
Both competitions will be launched in the spring, when further information will be available. In the meantime we will continue to raise awareness of our campaign to restore city status, and we have been receiving support from far and wide.
Our campaign will show how the powers that have been restored to Perth since 1996 have been used wisely. Perth & Kinross Council is now acknowledged to be one of the leading authorities in Scotland. The business, artistic, educational, cultural and sporting elements in Perth's society have flowered and made Perth a thriving, dynamic place in which to live and work, with low unemployment and a growing population.
Summary
Perth is an ancient city with modern aspirations. It is ready to reclaim its ancient City Status, and its rightful place alongside the six existing 'official' cities, in the development of modern Scotland.
