City of Milton Keynes
§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.
Milton Keynes was granted city status by Letters Patent in August 2022; planned in 1967 as a new town with grid roads, lakes and modernist centres, it has expanded rapidly into a diversified economy; its council has been a unitary authority since 1997 and, following city status, adopted the name Milton Keynes City Council, operating independently of Buckinghamshire County Council while not belonging to any combined authority.
City Council Status
Milton Keynes City Council is a unitary authority (since 1997); the area was awarded city status in 2022 and the council adopted the 'City Council' style.
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.