THE man behind Bournemouth’s city status bid said the main motivation was “pride” as the 39 places gunning for the status were revealed.

Bournemouth is one of 39 towns across the UK and British Overseas Territories to apply to win city status as part of a competition being run in honour of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee.

And BCP Council portfolio holder for regeneration, Philip Broadhead, said the status could “energise residents”.

He said: “When Bournemouth councillors recently voted to apply for city status, it was pretty clear that the main driver was one thing – pride.

“On the face of it, city status doesn’t mean anything practically. It comes with no new powers or responsibilities. It doesn’t mean a license to build skyscrapers. It is a purely honorary title in that regard.

“However, there is the argument that we miss out on investment because none of our three towns are technically ‘a city’.

“Despite our wider urban area being larger than Southampton and Portsmouth put together, and not far off Bristol, we were not eligible for recent infrastructure funding rounds as none of our towns were a city.

“Equally, businesses have been resounding in their positivity of one of our towns being crowned a city – it lends a level of recognition that can only help investment.

“However, all of the above are just ‘possibilities. We’re blessed in the BCP Council area in having three amazing towns, all of which are different.

“Should Bournemouth get city status, in my eyes it cements the view that we may have one council but we have three fantastic places within it to be proud of.

“And there’s that word again – pride. Let’s be proud of our towns, be proud of our ambition and be especially proud if one of our towns is awarded this prestigious title. As Bournemouth’s football team has recently shown, we’re good at winning things.”

The competition is part of a series of planned celebrations to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s historic, 70-year reign.

Applicants were asked to talk about the distinct identity and community which they felt meant that their area deserved to become a city, as well as the royal associations of their area.

The final decision will be taken in spring 2022 and announced shortly afterwards as part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The other places are Alcester, Ballymena, Bangor, Blackburn, Bolsover, Boston, Coleraine, Colchester, Crawley, Crewe, Doncaster, Dorchester, Douglas, Dudley, Dumfries, Dunfermline, Elgin, George Town, Gibraltar, Goole, Greenock, Guildford, Livingston, Marazion, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newport and Carisbrooke, Northampton, Oban, Reading, Peel, St Andrews, Stanley, South Ayrshire, Warrington, Warwick and Wrexham.