LUTON CITY STATUS BID - Now at 'crucial' stage

City slickers: Cricketer Monty Panesar, MP Gavin Shuker, Luton Council boss Hazel Simmons, MP Kelvin Hopkins, Glyn Jones, MD of Luton Airport, and Lord Bill McKenzie support the bid in London earlier this year

We're now entering what could prove to be one of the most important periods in Luton's modern history as the town's city status bid hits top gear.

The Love Luton campaign was launched last July in Westminster and the official submission of the bid will be handed in to Downing Street by May 27.

A new city is set to be created in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in February 2012, and Luton Airport managing director Glyn Jones, chairman of the Love Luton city status bid, has urged everyone to unite over the coming weeks and months to give the campaign the extra boost it needs.

He said: "It'll be a critical few weeks to refine the bid as much as we can, and we absolutely have to keep the awareness up right throughout the summer.

"We'll submit the bid at the end of May but the decision process goes on for a long period afterwards. We need to keep the energy up throughout the summer.

"City status would do two things. Firstly, it would recognise the transformation of the town over the past 40 years, which has been remarkable. It has doubled in size.

"Secondly, It would keep us at the right level of visibility for potential investors so we are seen as a place people want to come to live and work in."

Luton is not the only wannabe city - and it is little wonder when you consider Sunderland lists the creation of 30,000 extra jobs and reported investment of £5 billion as benefits of its successful bid in 1992.

Other contenders include nearby Milton Keynes, Middlesborough, Medway, Reading, Bolton, Swindon, Chelmsford, Stockport, Perth, Gateshead, Ballymena, Guildford, Southend-on-sea, Ipswich, Wrexham, Croydon and St Austell.

Once the bid has been submitted to the Cabinet Office, the Government will assess the applications and advise The Queen as to which town should receive the honour. 

With fewer than four weeks until Luton's bid is submitted, news of it is reaching destinations across the globe.

A competition organised by Luton Airport to take the Love Luton T-shirt to foreign climes has captured public imagination, and entries show photos of the garment being worn from Bordeaux to Budapest.

The competition closed on Saturday and fans of the airport’s Facebook page will choose their favourites.

Visit www.facebook.com/londonlutonairport to have your say and then an independent judging panel will take the shortlist and select a winner to claim a £500 voucher from Love2Travel.

For more information on how you can get involved with the city bid email support@loveluton.org.uk or visit www.loveluton.org.uk