Time for Carlisle to stop calling itself the Border City

Last updated at 09:36, Friday, 01 June 2012

New city council leader Joe Hendry says it’s time for Carlisle to stop calling itself the “Border City” as it makes it sound insular and old fashioned.

Instead he wants Carlisle to be more open and project itself as a modern, global city and call itself the “Knowledge City”.

Mr Hendry made his suggestion as he opened today’s Superfast Carlisle conference attended by over 100 delegates at Carlisle College.

“Carlisle styles itself as the ‘Border ‘City’, but I think it’s time we left that behind us for it implies defensiveness, castles, city walls, keeping people out – indeed keeping ourselves safe inside.

“But the world is not like that any more. We live in a global society,” he said.

Carlisle should make the most of what the college and the university has to offer and “rebrand itself in a more positive, outlooking way as a Knowledge City,” he added.

Labour’s new council leader received some unlikely backing from Conservative MP John Stevenson who was also attending the conference.

“I agree with him. The ‘Border City’ has had its day. There was nothing wrong with it when it was introduced, but it’s time it changed and we look for a different label.

“I like ‘Discover Carlisle which speaks to tourists and businesses that could see the city as somewhere to base themselves,” he said.

The Superfast Carlisle conference also heard on progress towards providing higher broadband speeds across the district.

The keynote speaker was Dominic Campbell, of FutureGov, who is listed as one of the 50 most influential people working in local government and also one of the most influential users of Twitter.

He told delegates how digital technology and social media could transform delivery of public services. FurtureGov is working with authorities across the UK on ideas that include: using an app to connect agencies involved in child protection issues; a website to allow local people to provide an alternative to a meals on wheels service and improve customer services.
Ideas to come out of the sessions included allowing members of the public to book all council facilities online such as football pitches and providing free wifi across the city centre.

Replay the live blog from the Superfast Carlisle conference click here

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First published at 13:42, Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Published by http://www.in-cumbria.com

Have your say

Brilliant comment Jonny.

Posted by Craig on 27 June 2012 at 10:48

Anybody else feel we're being softened up to take a lot of immigrants? Words like diversity, inclusion, enrichment etc only mean one thing - more immigration. Carlisle can never be a Manchester or a Newcastle because it's just not big enough, but it could be a Burnley, Oldham or Rochdale. Have any of the authors of these posts been to Manchester (Longsite, Hulme) recently? Or the mill towns? They are packed to the rafters and that's what's going to happen to Carlisle. Few jobs, few houses, few school places, lots of incommers. Not good.

Posted by AlK on 16 June 2012 at 09:49

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