Happy Burnley

The Times published the acolade yesterday in the wake of a comprehensive lifestyle report as part of the Legatum Institute’s UK prosperity index.

Burnley ranked highly for the strength of family bonds and reliability in an emergency and for the affordability of its housing.

One of the key measures was how many friends and neighbours people can count on in an emergency and Burnley came top, the only urban area to perform well.

Researchers say they were struck by how urban areas, while generating so much of the country’s wealth, appear unable to make their residents happy. Rural areas were more prosperous on their broader measure, despite being on average less wealthy.

Harriet Maltby, the report’s author, said: “The UK’s cities are failing to turn their higher wealth into real prosperity. They are struggling to provide the most basic life chances for all the people who live there.

“If there is no good school for your child, your environment and lifestyle is unhealthy, and you don’t have people around you to depend on, then many life opportunities are closed to you. Theresa May is right to focus on those who feel left behind because this index proves they have been.”