Doncaster city status a huge honour - mayor

The award of city status to Doncaster is a "huge honour", its mayor has said.

Doncaster is one of eight towns to be given the title as part of this year's Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The town, which has a population of about 311,000 living in its boroughs, had tried and failed three times before to attain city status.

Doncaster North MP Labour Ed Miliband said: "This is a proud day. For many years we've been a city in all but name. Now it's a reality."

Ros Jones, mayor of Doncaster, said the award of city status meant it was now time for everyone in the borough to "really push forward and reach our ambitions together".

While formal Letters Patent conferring city status would be issued later this year, Ms Jones said she believed Doncaster could start calling itself a city immediately.

Eight towns to be made cities for Platinum Jubilee

She said she believed the award would be a major boost to Doncaster after several recent blows.

"If you look at the resilience of our residents and our businesses, we went through the floods of 2019, then we had the Hatfield Moors fires, then we all went through Covid.

"Our residents and businesses stepped up to the mark and showed true Yorkshire grit."

Ms Jones said she hoped the status change would help to boost Doncaster's economic regeneration, adding: "We've always believed we act like a city, and now we're being given this huge honour."

Following the announcement, Ed Miliband MP paid tribute to Ms Jones' leadership, as well as to the people of Doncaster.

He said: "It is our brilliant businesses, amazing voluntary organisations, fantastic culture, great educational institutions and our inspiring people who are the biggest reasons this has happened."

Meanwhile, one business leader said Doncaster would now be "closer to the front of the queue arguing the toss" when it came to investment thanks to the change to city status.

Dan Fell, chief executive of Doncaster Chamber, said: "It makes us more of a magnet for inward investment. That means jobs and opportunities.

"It helps us with that liveable city - a kind of artistic, creative cultural place. It helps businesses because we become a better place to live, too, and that's helpful in attracting talent and the best people.

"It also gives the region, not just Doncaster but all of South Yorkshire, a much better seat at the table with national government making the case for levelling up, making the case for more investment in Doncaster."

Mr Fell added that the award of city status had been a long time coming and he put the town's eventual success down to the fact the bid this time "spoke about the city it was, not the city it was going to be".

People in Doncaster have reacted positively to the news that what was a mere town earlier this week had now officially become a city.

Wayne Rose told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I think it's fantastic news, I think it's good. I think we have felt like a city for a long time. I would just like to see it more developed, really."

Glenys Godsen said: "It is just an amazing place to live. It is long overdue and it is lovely we've got this."

Rod Bloor told the BBC: "It's fantastic, the best bit of news we have had for a long time in this town. I am really pleased with the authority for putting this bid in and getting it."

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said he felt "extremely proud" to be able to say there were now two cities in South Yorkshire.

"Doncaster's city status will bring in new businesses, spark innovation, generate economic growth and spur investment," he said.

"More than anything, it will mean more opportunities for people across our communities."

Deborah Rees, director of Doncaster's Cast Theatre, said on a cultural level the award of city status was "a really important moment".

"I'm absolutely delighted. In the long term, it will be a real game-changer for Doncaster. I'm just over the moon," she said.

"Doncaster people are really proud of where they live and having that wider external recognition is really important."

Ms Rees said she believed it would mean greater cultural opportunities for the city.

"We will be able to attract more artists, more festivals and high-profile events and, in turn, that will lead to more visitors and more experiences for local residents," she said.

She added that she hoped it could also lead to Doncaster attracting more funding for such cultural events in the future.

A record number of eight places are being made cities. As well as Doncaster, Colchester and Milton Keynes in England, Bangor in Northern Ireland, Dunfermline in Scotland and Wrexham in Wales are all being similarly honoured, along with Douglas on the Isle of Man and Stanley in the Falkland Islands.

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