Purple Flag Places -
CANTERBURY

Canterbury lies on the River Stour in East Kent. Originally an Iron Age settlement, Canterbury in the 21st Century is a wellknown and vibrant shopping destination with developments such as Whitefriars Shopping Centre (opened in 2005) complementing the appeal of unique and independent shopping areas such as The King's Mile and St Dunstans. Canterbury is possibly best known as a tourist destination. In 1988 UNESCO awarded Canterbury city centre World Heritage Site status which encompasses Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustines Abbey and St Martins Church. The city is also a centre for International Pilgrimage with the Cathedral being the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion and the starting point of the Via Francigena which ends in Rome.

As the flagship destination of the Canterbury district, Canterbury city centre is visited by over 6 million tourists a year. It is an exciting and vibrant place to live, work and play and the evening and visitor economies are of paramount importance to the district's economy. As such, the health and wellbeing of the city centre is of great importance to the city council, Canterbury City Partnership and their partners. The recent opening of the new £25.6 million Marlowe Theatre is testament to the ongoing commitment to investment in the city centre.

The Assessors and Panel were particularly impressed by:

• Partnership working within the city
• The use of lighting to emphasize the spectacular architecture in the city
• The approach taken to community engagement and the emphasis given to dialogue with all residents' groups
• The excellent range of festivals, religious events and traditional parades hosted during the year

"Canterbury is delighted to have achieved Purple Flag standard and look forward to using the status to further promote and improve our city centre."
Caroline Hicks, Local Economy Manager, Canterbury City Council

Centre Contact
Caroline Hicks
Local Economy Manager
Canterbury City Council
T: 01227 862064
E: caroline.hicks@canterbury.gov.uk

Information Files:

Canterbury Case Study
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