A RECENT survey by financial website Totallymoney.com has revealed that Blackburn is the best place in the UK to make a living.

The experts looked at average wages compared to mortgage repayments and also considered the cost of living and health of the area’s job market.

Blackburn’s number one status is just the latest indication that the town is making real progress.

Everywhere you look there are signs of major investment.

A new Premier Inn is scheduled to open in November as part of the ambitious Cathedral Quarter redevelopment which has transformed the former Boulevard into a bright, modern space reminiscent of a major city centre.

One man in a unique position to comment on how Blackburn is progressing is the town’s former MP Jack Straw who stepped down in May after representing the town for 36 years.

He said: “The report is a great tribute to the strength of the area. I know its conclusions may have come as a surprise to many people but inevitably people in one area are rarely in a position to make this kind of objective comparison.

“I have witnessed and participated in the transformation of the town As for the ‘good old days’ I have photos of the town centre of the 50s which was drab and depressing. The 60s policy of pulling most of it down made it worse but thankfully we have come through that.

“The shopping mall is one of the most successful in the country and is a pleasure to shop in.

“There has been a huge investment around the town centre over the last 20 years starting with the college campus and now the Cathedral Quarter which will further transform the area.

“Alongside this, the local business and manufacturing base is stronger than it has been for a long time.”

Blackburn is attracting inward investment and shoppers and visitors are delighted to see the changes which have and are still taking place.