§ This page provides an overview of an officially designated city in the UK, bringing together various information to help you better understand this city.
Truro’s city status was granted by Letters Patent on 28 August 1877 following the creation of the Diocese of Truro (1876), cementing its role as Cornwall’s cathedral city. From medieval trading port to Georgian market centre, Truro has remained the county’s civic focus. Since 1 April 2009, local services have been delivered by the unitary Cornwall Council after the county’s districts were abolished; Truro City Council continues at parish level, while the unitary oversees planning, transport, housing and regeneration across the wider area.
City Council Status
Truro City Council is the parish council holding city status (granted in 1877). Principal services are delivered by the unitary Cornwall Council (since 2009).
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.
