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Writer's pictureJackson Pentony

Fife Council Backs St Andrews and Dunfermline in Bid for City Status

Fife Council confirmed that it will support the towns of both St An- drews and Dunfermline in a bid for city status in the 2022 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Judges will soon analyse the submissions from both towns so that bids can be entered before the 8 December deadline. The judges will consider dedication to civic duty as well as historical and cultural significance to award city status, a prestigious title. In the past, both Dunfermline and St Andrews had the status of cities, with Dunfermline acting as the capital of Scotland for approximately 400 years, while St Andrews is both the “Home of Golf” and has Scotland’s oldest university. Dunfermline lost its 2012 bid for city status at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to Perth, another ancient city that, like St Andrews and Dunfermline, sought modern city status. The other towns across the UK to receive city status were Bournemouth, Coleraine and Wrexham.

Council co-leader Council- lor David Alexander said, “Both Dunfermline and St Andrews are keen to see their heritage recognised and their historical status officially restored, and we’re happy to support both these bids. “Our community manager is co-ordinating the submission for Dunfermline, and the St Andrews bid is being led by the town’s community council, who will contact our officers for any extra support they need.”

The Platinum Jubilee will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. The chance for towns to become cities usually comes every decade alongside the Queen’s celebrations, meaning this opportunity is a rare one. With the approval of Fife Council for both bids, the towns will now submit the necessary documents for review by the judges. The results of the towns’ bids will be announced in April 2022 and the results will rely on how convincing the bids are. Members of Fife Council expressed confidence in their towns’ bids, with Labour co-leader David Ross saying, “Work has been under way for some time to prepare submissions that reflect the history, diversity, and future aspirations of these communities. Our towns are strong contenders.”

Aside from the honour that accompanies the status of city, it could benefit both towns by instilling civic pride and putting them on the map. Dunfermline is the resting place of historical figures such as Robert the Bruce and was also the hometown of the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. The town is soon to be home to a £100 million super campus for two new senior schools and a college. St Andrews is home to one of Scotland’s ancient universities and is traditionally an ecclesiastical town due to its ancient cathedral.

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