As a new batch of towns put in their applications to be granted city status reporter JAMES WALLIN looks back over the ten years since Brighton and Hove took that step and asks – what has becoming a city ever done for us?

More than 20 towns across the UK are hoping to follow the lead of Brighton and Hove and gain the title of a city.

But in the first decade of city life for Brighton and Hove, exactly what has changed?

Turn the clock back to December 19 2001 and the headline on the front of The Argus said it all: “We’re a city!”.

Those behind the £500,000 bid to secure city status proudly proclaimed Brighton and Hove would now take its place as the natural capital of the South East.

But the most telling reactions were those from the residents, many of whom were left scratching their heads as to exactly what had changed.

The only point of real concern for them over their new status was whether Albion would in future be known as Brighton and Hove City.

In the years that followed the bid everything from traffic, crime and even the price of a pint was blamed on the decision to become a city.

So now the dust has settled what lessons can be learnt for wannabe city dwellers in Bournemouth, Croydon or Reading?

Simon Fanshawe, who spearheaded the Place To Be campaign, said city status had an immediate effect.

He said: “We are not a manufacturing city so our reputation is incredibly important to us. What the campaign and our success in it did was give us a platform to broadcast what we have to offer.

“The effects of that were immediate. Brighton and Hove has always been a place for entrepreneurs and our creative industries in particular have always been strong. This was a great way of reminding the rest of the country what we had.

“The bid fostered a great sense of pride among people. We weren’t just telling the rest of the world what a g reat place Brighton and Hove is, we were also reminding ourselves.”

But has city status benefited every area equally or have the positive effects failed to reach the length of Western Road?

Christopher Hawtree was a vocal opponent of the city bid and now, as a newly appointed councillor for Central Hove, his view has not changed.

He said: “Being a city might mean something to some but for the rest of us we’re too busy living our lives to really give it too much thought.

“Hove has remained what it is – a wonderful place full of character and characters. It has a totally different atmosphere to Brighton and I think everyone wants to preserve that.

“I can’t think of a single benefit to Hove of our becoming a city.

What we have seen is a migration of couples who are moving from the North Laine or Kemp Town over to Hove or coming down from London.”

But Mr Fanshawe insists all areas have enjoyed the benefits of being part of a city.

He said: “What is important to remember is that while unemployment is an issue in Brighton and Hove, as it is across the country, we have proved resilient and I believe we will be in good shape coming out of the current problems.

“The city bid helped to provide much needed jobs in Hove and encourage employers to the area, just as much as in Brighton.

“At no point have I ever said that every area of the city has to be the same. It’s absolutely correct that Hove has an entirely different atmosphere to Brighton.

The same is true for Portslade. I was always keen for every area, from Whitehawk to Patcham or wherever, to be able to feel pride in being part of a city but to know their own character would still be intact.”

So, what does it mean to be a city in 2011? We are one of 66 across the country, ranging from the tiny St David’s in Wales (population 1,600) to the urban jungle that is Birmingham (with just over one million inhabitants).

Currently 25 towns are bidding to catch the Queen’s eye as she prepares to choose another city for her diamond jubilee.

For Sussex’s other city dwellers, in Chichester, the allure of being a cathedral city has kept the tourists visiting for centuries.

But would a cathedral town really get any fewer visitors?

In an age where many large towns have already swelled beyond the level of a small city it seems the lack of the city word is having little effect on businesses when they are looking for a new home.

Whether two towns or one city, Brighton and Hove has always possessed something unique among UK destinations. As a city, super-village, capital of the south east or just Brighton and Hove, it is not a place that could ever be ignored.