§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.
Lichfield is a historic cathedral city with medieval borough roots; after the 1974 reorganisation its civic functions were held by charter trustees until a new parish-level Lichfield City Council was created, and city status was restored to that parish by letters patent in November 1980. The city sits within the wider two-tier Lichfield District / Staffordshire County framework, so the parish-level city council handles civic and community matters while district and county authorities deliver most services. Heritage, tourism and a growing service economy continue to shape the compact city around its three-spired cathedral.
City Council Status
Lichfield City Council is the parish council; city status was restored to the parish by letters patent in 1980. Principal services are provided by Lichfield District Council and Staffordshire County 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.
