Brighton and Hove
§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.
Brighton & Hove was granted city status on 31 January 2001 following the 1997 merger that formed the unitary Brighton & Hove authority; the new city council leads services across both historic resorts and has driven seafront, cultural and housing regeneration while coordinating transport and planning at city scale.
City Council Status
Brighton & Hove City Council is the unitary authority for the city (formed 1997); the area was granted city status in 2001, and the council delivers all principal local services across the city.
In the UK, a city is not defined by size or population but by formal status granted by the monarch, often through historical charters or, more recently, civic honours competitions. There are 76 officially recognised cities, some of which are relatively small compared to other urban areas. In contrast, local authority districts (361 in total) are administrative areas created for local government purposes and may include a mix of urban centres, suburbs, and rural communities. Within districts, there may be one or more towns, which generally refer to sizeable urban settlements but do not hold city status unless it has been formally granted. In practice, a city can exist within a district, and a district can cover multiple towns, showing the clear distinction between legal status, administrative boundaries, and everyday usage.