§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.
Hereford’s city status is historic and was reconfirmed in October 2000 when the present parish-level Hereford City Council was constituted. A cathedral city with medieval trading privileges and a history as a county corporate, Hereford’s principal local government changed in 1998, when the former county of Hereford & Worcester was abolished and the unitary authority of Herefordshire Council was created; since then the parish-level city council has handled civic and community functions while the unitary council delivers main local services.
City Council Status
Hereford City Council is a parish council reconstituted in 2000 to carry the city's civic role. Main local services are delivered by the unitary Herefordshire Council.
In the UK, a handful of cities are organised at the civil parish tier—the lowest level of local government in England. There are eight such cases: Chichester, Ely, Hereford, Lichfield, Ripon, Salisbury, Truro, and Wells. In these places the city status is vested in the parish area and the parish council styles itself a City Council.
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.
