Croydon is facing some fierce competition in its bid to become officially recognised as a city for the Queen's Jubilee.

In the south east, Croydon's opponents will be Guildford, Reading, Maidstone and Greenwich, but the town is hoping that a combination of its history, culture and dynamic future plans will put it into the lead.

CROYDON

Strong heritage features of Croydon's bid are buildings such as Parish Church, rebuilt to 15th Century plans by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1867, the grade one listed Whitgift almshouses and tudor landmark, Old Palace, home to the first Lord Mayor of London.

Meanwhile modern additions such as the Croydon Clocktower incorporating the library, David Lean cinema and exhibitions contribute culturally.

Croydon's Vision 2020 scheme aims to shape the borough's development and includes a range of new and exciting developments. And its geographical position means that London is just a 15 minute train journey while Gatwick Airport can be reached in 20 minutes.

Plans to extend the underground to West Croydon will strengthen transport links which are already superior thanks to the success of Tramlink, which carried a record 14 million passengers in its first year.

With this "preserve the best discard the rest" philosophy Croydon should prove healthy competition in the race for city status.

READING

Reading in Berkshire is expected to rely on characteristics such as the annual rock festival, Abbey ruins and its location, which marks the town as the capital of the Thames Valley, to head its campaign.

Reading's shopping facilities have expanded dramatically in recent years with the construction of The Oracle Shopping and Leisure Destination. Although it is still behind Croydon, the town has achieved a ranking of 13th in the top shopping centres in the UK. Reading also has its sights firmly set on the international business world, attracting several major international computer companies, including Microsoft, Compaq (formerly Digital) and The Oracle Corporation. It also has the national headquarters for a wide range of financial and commercial organisations, such as Prudential, Thames Water, Yellow Pages and BG (formerly British Gas).

GREENWICH

There has been a lot of national promotion of Greenwich in recent years as the move into the new millennium focused attention on the historic centre of time-keeping.

And Greenwich is expected to rely heavily on its royal connections, Courtauld House, the Queen's House and the Greenwich Royal Park as well as its historic tourist attractions in its bid to obtain city status, such as Charlton House, one of the finest specimens of Jacobean domestic architecture in the country, the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. A more modern feat of engineering is on display in the Thames Barrier.

MAIDSTONE

Another rival, Maidstone in Kent, offers the development of its Millennium River and historic buildings at All Saints Conservation area to promote its bid. The council has commissioned a book detailing the town's history and submitted evidence of its forward-thinking by highlighting Maidstone's notable features such as the Maidstone Millennium River Park, Kent's largest Millennium project and new development underway or proposed at Springfield, County Gate, the Chequers Centre and St Peter's Street.

GUILDFORD

The bookies' current favourite is the Surrey town of Guildford - a strong contender with its cathedral, university, castle, markets, National Trust land, Wey Navigation canal and 16th Century architecture.

Guildford's Spectrum is a new leisure complex, containing an Olymic sized ice rink, and the town also boasts a range of nearby attractions such as Loseley Park - a fine Elizabethan mansion which has been the home of the More-Molyneux family for over 400 years. Features include panelling from Henry VIII's Nonsuch Palace, tapestries, carvings and paintings. Meanwhile, a little north of Guildford is Wisley, is the flagship of the Royal Horticultural Society, which covers over 240 acres.

December 31, 2001 11:30