A petition was submitted today, Tuesday, 8th October 2013, to a full meeting of Birmingham City Council with over 10,000 signatures from local residents requesting a new Sutton Coldfield Town Council under the Localism Act 2011.
Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council, received the petition from representatives of Sutton Coldfield’s Neighbourhood Forums, including Ken Rushton, and local councillors including Constituency Chair Cllr Anne Underwood (Cons) and Cllr Rob Pocock (Lab).
Many Midland towns are cared for by town councils, Shrewsbury, Warwick, Kenilworth, Malvern, to name but a few, and two-tier local government is the norm for most English towns, but creating a new town council is a rare event.
A formal Governance Review by Birmingham City Council will now follow to consider transferring to the Sutton Coldfield Town Council a range of decision making powers in relation to town planning, transport, the management of Sutton Park, and other other local government functions.
Sutton Coldfield was given Royal Town status by Henry VIII in 1528 together with a unique form of local government that endured until the Borough of Sutton Coldfield was created in the reign of Queen Victoria. Then in 1974 Sutton Coldfield was incorporated into the City of Birmingham.
Separate to the town council review, Andrew Mitchell MP for Sutton Coldfield, recently met with the Queen’s Private Secretary at Buckingham Palace to discuss the reinstatement of the name, the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield.
The proposal is to reinstate the Royal Town name by appointing Charter Trustees who will oversee the proper usage of the royal pre-fix.
Speaking to the Sutton Coldfield Observer, Andrew Mitchell said, “My recent meetings with the College of Arms, the Cabinet Office, the Crown Office and the Palace as well as the Garter King of Arms have been immeasurably strengthened by the research undertaken by so many residents.”
One benefit of reinstating the historic Royal Town name could be attracting investment for the regeneration of Sutton Coldfield’s town centre.
It may be that a unique Royal Town Council is created as a result of the current petition.
Could this be the revival of the Royal Town?
Notes: Chartered Town Planner, Nick Corbett, raised the issue of reinstating the Royal Town name in January 2008. The town’s MP, the Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell (Cons), is leading the campaign with the Sutton Coldfield Observer to get the Royal Town name back. Councillor Rob Pocock (Lab) formally presented the petition for a Sutton Coldfield Town Council, assembled by local Neighbourhood Forums, to Birmingham City Council, today, 8th October 2013.
The heritage of Sutton Coldfied has inspired the novel, Arden: Gateway to the Journey Home