West Lothian Town Bids for City Status

Livingston hopes to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year as a city, sixty years after it began to grow as Scotland’s newest new town

West Lothian Council’s Executive have backed a bid for Livingston to hold city status through the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition. Executive Alice Mitchell, Economic Development & Regeneration Manager, said “With Livingston’s 60-year anniversary of gaining a new town status approaching next year, this competition is a perfectly fitting way of demonstrating and emphasising Livingston’s unique and distinct identity.” She highlights over the last 60 years, Livingston has seen a transformation from three villages and only 60 households to a large, culturally vibrant town.

The Queen visited in 1977, joining the local community in celebrating her silver Jubilee year. City status would have a great positive impact on Livingston economically as it will encourage potential inward investment from companies looking to expand their business. This economic boost would create potential employment opportunities for the community as well as for those living further afield.

The town is the national home to well-known global firms such as Mitsubishi, Sky and drug manufacturer Valneva. Councillors have agreed to set up a working team to take on the preparation of the application and begin a programme of public consultation.