The former ‘dirty old town’ has more energy-efficient homes, more green spaces, more recycling and lowest CO 2 emissions, says study

Salford may have been fondly dubbed a “dirty old town” by folk singer Ewan MacColl and depicted as full of smoky chimneys by LS Lowry, but new research has crowned it the greenest place to live in England and Wales.

The city, part of Greater Manchester, is more sustainable than places such as Brighton, where Caroline Lucas is Britain’s only Green party MP, and Bristol, a former European Green Capital, according to a study to be released this week by the Centre for Thriving Places.

In this socialist stronghold of the north-west – represented by the Momentum-backed Labour leadership hopeful Rebecca Long-Bailey – the leftwing council, run by Labour mayor Paul Dennett, is building the most energy-efficient new homes in England and Wales and preserving and creating more green space than any other council.

The city also has lower-than-average CO 2 emissions, lower-than-average energy consumption levels and higher-than-average recycling rates.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest New RHS Garden Bridgewater will open in Salford this summer.

“There have been a lot of innovative things going on in the north-west in terms of participatory democracy, community wealth-building and the environment,” said Liz Zeidler, chief executive of the Centre for Thriving Places. “Places such as Salford seem to be quite cleverly absorbing these ideas. Its leaders have been willing to try something new and now they are starting to see the results.”

Dennett said Salford had invested millions in green infrastructure and had embraced the decarbonisation agenda long before it was in vogue. “Our carbon management programme was put in place in 2009 and has helped to save 14,000 tonnes of CO 2 ,” he said. “And 60% of Salford is now green space.”

According to the study, the least sustainable area in England and Wales is Stockton-on-Tees in the north-east. It has well over double the average CO 2 emissions, nearly half the average recycling rates, and fewer trees than most authorities.

The full analysis – which rates 363 local authorities on 60 indicators covering sustainability, equality and local conditions – reveals that Richmond upon Thames offers the best quality of life overall. Residents of the affluent south London borough have the best mental and physical health, along with the most trusting neighbours.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stockton-on-Tees, which according to the study is the least sustainable area in England and Wales. Photograph: Henry Clare/PA

Stockton-on-Tees also has one of the worst scores overall. Its poorest children make less progress than those living in most other areas, while the scale of its health challenges dwarfs those found elsewhere. It has the largest life-expectancy gap in England and Wales, with people in deprived areas dying on average more than 16 years earlier than in the better-off parts of the borough.

One of the most culturally diverse areas in the study, Brent in north-west London, was found to be the most egalitarian place in England and Wales. Its council chamber is fully representative of its black and minority ethic population – an achievement matched by only 21 other councils. It has more than half the average gender pay gap, with children from disadvantaged backgrounds standing a better chance of doing well at school and getting good jobs than those in 80% of areas in England.

Brent said its good schools enabled equality of opportunity. “The other secret to our success is that we know that diversity is our greatest strength, so we proudly celebrate it,” said its deputy council leader, Margaret McLennan.

Stockton-on-Tees said it accepted it had problems, but the study did not reflect the area’s many strengths. “We’re the economic powerhouse of the Tees Valley, contributing about a third of its economic output, and we’re home to internationally recognised brands,” said Bob Cook, leader of the council. “But we do, of course, have our challenges. We have significant areas of deprivation and serious health inequalities.”

He added that the area’s energy-intensive industries were meeting government emissions targets, and its weekly bin collections were popular with residents.