Warwick has been snubbed with its city bid as part of the Platinum Jubilee - but the town is still a special place to live

Warwick is set to remain the proud county town of Warwickshire after being unsuccessful in its bid for city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The town’s participation in the national Civic Honours competition, despite not seeing it given city status, has raised Warwick’s profile and reminded people locally and nationally of its rich history and qualities.

Warwick Town Council joined local authorities from towns across the country in applying to become a city as part of the Jubilee celebrations, compiling an application that showcased Warwick’s civic pride, historic and cultural identity and thriving economic and independent retail sector - not to mention its reputation as a great place to live.

The application was submitted at the end of last year.

The town council was backed by local organisations including Warwick Castle, the Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick Chamber of Trade and Warwick Schools Foundation, with other bodies helping shape its submission to ensure Warwick stood the best chance possible of achieving city status.

But despite a strong application, Warwick was not among the eight towns awarded city status, announced by the Cabinet Office on Friday (May 20).

Cllr Noel Butler, leader of Warwick Town Council, said: “Naturally, we are disappointed after the effort and passion that went into the application for city status, but we have raised the profile of the town and reminded people exactly how special Warwick is - for the those who live and work here, and for people who are yet to visit and fall in love with our unique town.

“Warwick will continue to be a great place to live as well as offering visitors a first-class experience.

"We have an exciting few months coming up, with our own Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 2, the arrival of the Commonwealth Games’ cycle race and a visit from the Queen’s Baton Relay.

"We look forward to welcoming people from across the UK and beyond to our wonderful town to experience exactly what made us so passionate about it being recognised in this competition.”