MKFM has spoken to the council leader as Milton Keynes can FINALLY be called a city after over 20 years of trying to gain the title.
It has officially been announced that Milton Keynes' fourth city bid attempt has been successful.
The crowning of city status comes after three previous applications over the last 22 years. In 2000, an application was submitted for the millennium - then again in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee, and 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee.
38 towns in total applied for the civic honour, which is being crowned to several applicants as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Back in December of last year, Milton Keynes sent its bid in typical MK fashion- by Starship robot.
This year, EIGHT towns have been made into a city.
Winning city status can provide a boost to local communities and open up new opportunities for people who live there, as is the case with previous winners Perth and Preston where the local economies benefited from their improved national and global standing.
MKFM spoke to Peter Marland, Leader of MK Council who said "What a great morning."
He said: "I think this is a validation for the city and for all those children and adults who were born here and brought up here and everybody that knows what a great place it is and how we can now say we are from the city of Milton Keynes."
He said the name had a good ring to it.
"The fact I can now say I am a city councillor is fantastic."
He said the reign of Queen Elizabeth was a great crossover with the making of Milton Keynes, and one of the main reasons for MK' success in the bid.
He said "We are the clinical or new town, post war, planning and architecture and that what's won it for us."
"Hopefully, this will go down as one of the best days in our history", he said: "It is one of the greatest days for us as a city."
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