It is often said that to become a city you need a cathedral, a university, a well-known sports team and a successful economy. 

If it were that easy, I am certain that Medway would already be enjoying this honour. After all, it does have the historic Rochester Cathedral, four universities, Gillingham FC and a diverse economy.

Sadly, though, it’s not quite that simple, and city status is rarely bestowed, except by the Queen on special occasions. It is therefore fortunate that such an occasion is fast approaching.

In 2012, the Queen will be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee and granting city status to a lucky winner.

It is my hope Medway will be that winner, and this week we launched our summer campaign for city status, more details of which can be found at www.cityofmedway.org.

We are encouraging people to show their support by drawing, painting or writing on our City of Medway bunting flags, which will be available at all our events this summer, including the Castle Concerts, and on our website.

In my mind there is no better contender for this coveted honour.

Medway has demonstrated it has the vibrancy and passion of a city with its rich historic links and forward-looking attitude.  

In particular, there are three reasons why I believe Medway is deserving of this honour. City status would be a recognition of where we are and what we have achieved.

And it would help highlight how much Medway has been transformed since the closure of the Naval dockyard in Chatham 26 years ago. 

Since the closure, St Mary’s Island and the Historic Dockyard are successful examples of regeneration, and more is to come along Strood waterfront, Rochester Riverside and in Chatham town centre. These projects are bringing jobs, improving infrastructure and transport links and creating homes.

There are now 600 companies on Medway City Estate, employing 6,000 people.

We have 10,000 students here, a great calendar of sporting and cultural events and are the largest conurbation in the South East.

We are also gifted with a superb castle and cathedral in Rochester, and are proud of our historic ties with the Armed Forces.

Chatham was at the forefront of British naval history for centuries and we have a long association with the Royal Engineers at Brompton. In short, Medway has a rich heritage and a great future.

The second reason is that city status would give Medway a greater national and international profile – putting Medway on the map.

Since becoming a city, Sunderland has attracted international companies, such as Nike, Nissan and Barclays. And Newport has seen Admiral, Yell and EADs move in.

Others have enjoyed record levels of investment, with Wolverhampton benefiting from £2 billion. Such benefits will not materialise overnight, but city status will enable Medway to compete on an equal footing.

Finally, city status will further strengthen the bonds between our five towns and the rural areas that make up Medway.

There is much that Rochester, Strood, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham have in common, but city status will not mean they will lose their distinct identities. In fact, this is what makes our campaign unique – for it would be five towns that make a city. The City of Medway.

This is only the start of our campaign and there is a long way to go. We will, in these austere times, ensure costs are kept to a minimum and, where possible, Medway Council will make use of existing resources.
 
But success will not depend on finances alone. Support from residents will be a key factor. I urge everyone who supports our bid to collect one of our bunting flags and paint, draw or write on it and send it back to us. 

In Medway, 2012 is going to be a year of celebration with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens; the bicentenary of the Royal Engineers in Gillingham; the Olympic and Paralympic Games; and our bid to achieve World Heritage Status for Chatham. 

Clearly, becoming the City of Medway would be a fitting accolade for such an eventful year.

• Cllr Rodney Chambers is the leader of Medway Council.

How can the Queens grant such status when Medway is not a town. It is the name of a principal Kent river and the collective name for a collection of combined Town Councils. If such a status is to be granted it should be for Rochester for its fine Cathedral, Castle and other historic buildings. How can the declining (terminal) towns of Chatham and Gillingham ever be granted City status in relation to the other deserving cities of England. Chatham town centre cannot even manage to keep decent shops let alone any historical buildings.

Rochester had the status before but is was carelessly lost by the council who should be seeking to restore the title of City of Rochester upon Medway.

 

Is this publication partisan or what? Once again, Rodney and his cronies have decided they can do whatever they like without appropriate consultation. You have to question the motivation, as well as the system that allows this to happen. Rochester is still a city in spirit and will continue to be long after today's political "élite" has gone tomorrow. Medway is something else altogether, and we don't like the wool being pulled over our eyes.

What Medway Council failed to do was ask the population of the area if they wanted the idiotically named city of Medway. In common with their normal 'consultations' on matters effecting residents and businesses, this was not done and the decision was railroaded through. What poor old Rodney fails to mention is that the Council made sure Rochester lost its city status in 1998 (how convenient!). After 1,400 years of being known as and having official city status.  The cost of renewing its status was insignificant compared to millions spent on all the propaganda machinery, creation of a new website and logo, plus the cost of all those presentations and meetings. An unacceptable waste of rate -payers' money.

The Medway is the name of the river, not this fantasy city that lives inside the heads of these morons who treat residents and businesses in these towns with contempt.

 

There is so much hot air around regarding the "city status" question.

It could be said that it doesn't really make much difference one way or thother - the " what's in a name? " argument.

But it might just bring more jobs and prestige to the area, which can't be a bad thing.     

But the opponents seem to be hell bent on telling us that they live in Rainham, Strood, Rochester or wherever, and NOT MEDWAY.     Why can't they see that you can be in both.In fact we already are.    We all live in Medway - just different parts of Medway.    

Somebody living in, say Southwark can be very proud of  the fact,  and would say so, but surely wouldn't say that they don't live in London.      

I think the advantages probably outweigh the disadvantages.

As a possible alternative to keep the short sighted happy - how about calling it  the City of Rochester and Medway.