Chelmsford granted city status

In her Diamond Jubilee year, the Queen has granted Chelmsford as a city. Along with Perth in Scotland and St Asaph in North Wales, Her Royal Majesty granted three cities on three corners of the country a new city status in order to help mark the celebration of her 60th year as our monarch.

As the county town of Essex and with a population stretching to around 160,000, many people would say that this news has been a long time coming. Most importantly due to the cathedral, which is often a defining aspect of a city, many people have argued the case of Chelmsford's city status for quite some time.

Chelmsford Cathedral

After 24 towns across the UK placed a bid to win a competition to be officially granted as a city, Chelmsford fought off some strong competitors, including Middlesbrough, Bolton and even Reading, the bookies favourite due to being the largest town in the country. With just 18/1 odds, the outlook did not seem particularly promising, so the news came as a shock to the council and to those who helped to place the bid.

Chelmsford even beat Colchester and Southend to claim the title, becoming the first ever city in Essex. It seems only just that the county town should become a city before any others.

With so many assets that would be expected from a city, it only seems about time that Chelmsford should be upgraded from a town to a city. Anglia Ruskin University has, in recent years, been expanded using a £81 million investment and is one of the largest universities in Eastern England.

Chelmsford also boasts multiple top-class high schools, each varying greatly in specialities; these include Moulsham High School specialising in Humanities, Boswells School in Performing Arts, Great Baddow High School in Sport, as well as the two grammar schools, Chelmsford County High School and King Edward Grammar School, which are within the top schools in the country.

The former town also provides various superb amenities that you would expect from a fantastic city.

With a fantastic high street and two shopping precincts, The Meadows and High Chelmer, Chelmsford is packed full of retail opportunities. With John Lewis on its way for 2013, Chelmsford will be complete with virtually every popular high street store that the country is offered.

Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital is the largest in Essex and with a substantial re-development in recent years, various new facilities have been added. The St Andrew's Centre within the hospital is worldly renowned for its specialist work for people suffering with burns and a cleft lip or palate.

Substantial development: Broomfield Hospital's new building

The sporting successes within Chelmsford have been awaited this news for quite some time, with Chelmsford's football club being called Chelmsford City! Chelmsford is also home to Essex County Cricket Ground, as well as ice hockey team Chelmsford Chieftans. It will also welcome the Olympic Torch as part of the Olympic Festival celebrations in July.

Chelmsford receives media attention through the V Festival, held in Hylands Park, every year. With some of the UK's and the world's biggest musical artists coming to Chelmsford every year, it seems only right that the likes of Eminem and Rihanna, who performed at the festival in 2011, should be welcomed into the City of Chelmsford, as opposed to the town.

Crowds pack out at the annual V Festival in Hylands Park

Having been specifically chosen by the Queen to be one of the three places representing her within her Diamond Jubilee year, Chelmsford should hopefully receive the appropriate positive publicity that it deserves, as a place packed full to the brim of exceptional facilities and figures. The news should attract business and investment into what is a bustling and successful city of the UK.