What are your views on another bid for city status for Warrington?

[Gary]

Would appear the leadership at Warrington Borough Council are going to make another bid for city status - after previous failed attempts.

What are your views ?

Town leaders look set to bid for city status

 

[Confused52]

I cast my mind back to the consultation on becoming changing to all out elections. In that there were a very small numbers of responses the postcode locations were put on a map on the WBC website. I recognised most of the locations as being close to Labour Councillors addresses with a block in one ward that were different. They were located close enough together to look like canvassing. The total number was I think less that a hundred but that was taken as proof by the council that the public supported all out elections. I thinks the don't cares were probably much higher in number and just abstained.

This time the number of votes is much higher and mostly against, or so we are told. Once again the council just take the result they want without any analysis of the voting itself. There is no point in asking for opinions if it is clear you are not interested in the result. It is abundantly clear that the public do not support this bid.

The point of cities is that they represent a focus for an area around them in almost all respects, shopping, cultural events and services being key amongst them. Small places can meet these criteria in rural parts of the country. However Warrington is a small town in a densely populated area with establish regional centres in Liverpool, Chester Salford and Manchester close by. The only claim for regional attraction comes from Warrington's net inflow for employment. However thos other places have even higher net inflows and Warrington is just not seen as a regional centre by the average person.

The episode merely confirms the wholly undemocratic nature of our council, which cares about itself image more that the wishes or welfare of its residents,

[Latchford Locks]

As Clarke Gable once said 

Frankly; I Don't Give a Damn 

And I guess from occasionally mentioning it in passing; none of my circle of friends would.

Neither the vast majority of the Towns population if asked.🥱

 

[Confused52]

The minimum cost is that a large number of boundary signs and stationery items get junked for new ones, anew logo has to be paid for and a significant amount of work needs to be done on the computer systems the council uses for absolutely no benefit. Not to mention the diversion of effort to producing the application. Just like the City of Culture fiasco. 

As you say it is not something that engages the population but it will be trotted out by critics when the next council tax increase is at the maximum once more with service cuts as the council pleads poverty.

[ninearches]

Would city status enhance the perks of the good burghers ?

[Observer II]

For the vast majority of the great unwashed, this is meaningless; hence the apathy. The only interest will be from local politicians, which will no doubt provide an excuse for a free bee.    

[Bill]

There’s nothing in all that’s been said that stands out as being significantly better for the town or it’s people which leads me to believe this is more to do with ego and status for the town’s officials. After all, city councillor sounds much grander than a mere town councillor but if it were up to me I’d be voting for village status just to give their egos a good bashing.

To me, a city conjures up an image of a large place full of strangers with even stranger accents and no roots in the community. Take a walk around town centre and you could be excused for thinking we’re not far off that these days, but we’re not there, and I like most would not want to see it getting any worse.

So even though it's essentially just a word, it’s a big no thanks from me.

 

Bill 😊

[Evil Sid]

12 hours ago, Bill said:

if it were up to me I’d be voting for village status just to give their egos a good bashing.

We would be overrun with village idiots running for council.......🤪