Rochester’s lost city status

Why was our city status lost?

The first Royal Charter to recognise Rochester’s city status was granted during the reign of King Henry III in 1227.

In 1974 the City of Rochester became part of a new Borough of Medway, which also included the former Borough of Chatham and part of the former Rural District of Strood. Before the merger, and at the request of the outgoing city council, the Queen granted Letters Patent which maintained the status of Rochester as a city within the Borough of Medway. In 1982, following a change of name to Rochester upon Medway, the Queen again granted Letters Patent which extended Rochester’s city status to the whole of the Borough; hence the area became the City of Rochester upon Medway.

In 1998 Rochester upon Medway City Council and Gillingham Borough Council were abolished and a new unitary authority – Medway Council - created for the whole of the Medway Towns. Advice was given by the Government to the outgoing city council as to the steps it should take if city status were to be retained. That advice was rejected and so our city status lapsed.

How can city status be recovered?

City status is granted very sparingly and, in modern times, has usually marked special occasions or anniversaries. The next occasion when the status is likely to be granted is in 2012 to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Medway Council have decided to make a bid at that time for city status for ‘Medway’.

The City of Rochester Society agrees that the Medway Towns are worthy of city status and the Society will support the Council’s bid provided that it is made in the name of Rochester, or Rochester upon Medway.

Why?

● Up to now city status has only been granted in the name of established towns. Medway is not a town; it is simply a unit of local government. There is no reason to suppose that the situation will be any different in 2012; and

● This Society deplores the loss of Rochester’s city status with no public consultation and is committed to doing all it can to regain that status.

What is your view?

Write to the Chief Executive of Medway Council, to your local councillors, to your Member of Parliament and to the press.

SAY NO TO A CITY OF MEDWAY

SAY YES TO A CITY OF ROCHESTER UPON MEDWAY