City of Salford

image
Region: North West
Country: England

§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.

Salford received city status by letters patent on 21 April 1926, capping its rise from chapel-town to an industrial heavyweight in textiles, engineering and docks. In 1974 it became the metropolitan City of Salford and since 2011 has been part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; a directly elected metro mayor has led the conurbation since 2017, with a deeper 2023 ‘trailblazer’ devolution deal and a move to a single funding settlement strengthening the strategic tier over transport, skills, housing and regeneration.

City Council Status

Salford City Council is a metropolitan district council and a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which adds a mayoral strategic tier over transport, skills and regeneration.

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.

Cities in North West