An independent report has established that Guildford has the healthiest economy of any town of city outside of London. The annual ‘UK Vitality Index’ is produced by LSH and acts as ‘health check’ on every large town and city besides the Capital. It ranks towns and cities that have healthy and robust local economies and are best placed to promote growth. The report places Guildford at the top of the table, knocking Cambridge off the top spot.
The results are based on the analysis of 20 datasets, with each location ranked within six separate categories: most productive, fastest growing, most entrepreneurial, best educated, greenest and most affluent.
The report suggests that Guildford, and the other leaders of the table are driving the economic recovery, with greater opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to create more jobs and better financial prospects for the populous.
Overall, the top 10 towns and cities in the 2015 UK Vitality Index are:
1. Guildford
2. Cambridge
3. Brighton
4. Reading
5. Warwick
6. St Albans
7. Milton Keynes
8. Oxford
9. Edinburgh
10. York
The report also identifies Manchester, Northampton and Derby as showing the most significant improvement over the past 12 months.
The report is very positive for Guildford’s long-term business prospects, but, in a Britain which still relies on foodbanks to feed the families of those trapped in in-work poverty, will the profits ever trickle down to those who need them most?
Adam Niblett