Failure to win city status can’t dim pride and aspirations of Yorkshire towns

The honours were bestowed by the Queen on Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph to mark the Diamond Jubilee, with Goole and Doncaster – and 10/11 favourite Reading – left disappointed.

But Mayor of Goole Keith Moore – which was considered a rank outsider at 50/1 – said the publicity had done the town a great deal of good.

He said: “We are delighted for the winners, disappointed we didn’t win – but not as disappointed as Reading who thought they had got the cat in the bag.

“We couldn’t have afforded to pay for the kind of media coverage we have had nationally. At the end of the day we have lost nothing and gained everything.

“It’s all about having aspirations and we would definitely go for it again.”

Peter Davies, Mayor of Doncaster, said: “Congratulations to the three winners, particularly Perth which I consider to be my second home. We waged a good campaign on a shoestring budget and had some fantastic support for local people, businesses and organisations.

“Becoming a city has never been a major priority for me, what matters is improving our economy and opportunities for local people.

“We should all be proud of this bid which has helped raise Doncaster’s profile nationally, highlighting our fantastic offer to both visitors and investors.”

The outcome means that St Asaph in Wales, with a population of just 3,400, is now the UK’s second smallest city after St David’s. The city grew up around its sixth century cathedral – which measures just 182ft by 68ft wide.

Mayor Andrew Thomas said city status was long overdue. He said: “We are one of the last of the original places in the UK with a cathedral to be awarded this status – following the disestablishment of the church some 1,400 years ago. So you could say it’s an oversight which has at last been rectified.

“Anyway size does not really matter as we have plenty to offer. We have 4,000 people in employment, which is bigger than the number of people who live here. Not many places can boast that.

Chelmsford, the county town of Essex since 1218, also has a cathedral. In the 17th century many of the victims of self-styled “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins spent their last days imprisoned there before being tried and hanged. Perth, on the banks of the River Tay, known as The Fair City, after the story by Sir Walter Scott, lost its city status in a local government shake-up in 1975.