BLACKBURN has been named the best place to live in Britain with Burnley coming 60th out of 64 towns and cities.

The survey compared average wages to mortgage repayments and took account of the cost of living and health of the individual areas’ job markets.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The results from credit comparison website TotallyMoney.com split civic leaders from the towns.

Blackburn’s were delighted to find their home at the top of a league table other than those for deprivation.

But Burnley’s Labour MP Julie Cooper and her LibDem predecessor Gordon Birtwistle were stunned.

Both pointed to 2013 when the borough was named ‘Most Enterprising Area in Britain’ and the Sunday Times called it ‘a first-time buyers Shangri-La’.

Blackburn beat Derby and Cambridge for top spot. Only Newport, Blackpool, Rochdale and Gloucester were below Burnley.

Residents of Blackburn questioned by the Lancashire Telegraph were surprised by the accolade which showed household cash goes further in their town.

Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Mohammed Khan, said: “Blackburn is a great place to live and the town is without doubt on the up.

“We’ve got a multi-million pound regeneration programme taking place that includes the Cathedral Quarter as the development of high quality housing.”

Former MP Jack Straw said: “This is amazing. It is good to have a survey which shows what a great place Blackburn is to live.

“Its low house prices and mortgages will now prove a magnet for people to come to the town with the upgrade of the railway line into Bolton and Manchester.”

Current MP Kate Hollern said: “Blackburn is a great place to live because of its people. They are why I came here.

Tony Duckworth, President of Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, said: “It shows what I have always known. Blackburn is a great place to live and getting better.

“It’s my home town and I love living here. It has a lot going for it and is surrounded by gorgeous countryside.”

But the leader of Burnley council, Mark Townsend, said: “I don’t think this survey reflects the progress Burnley has made other than perhaps in rising house prices.”

Mr Birtwistle said: “I don’t recognise these figures. Burnley was named most enterprising town in Britain and Shangri-la for first-time buyers in 2013.

“Any sensible person would, like I do, live in Burnley not Blackburn.”

Mrs Cooper agreed, and added: “Burnley is a fantastic place as its 2013 accolades show. It’s got so much going on, great businesses and is surrounded by great countryside.”

A Burnley Council spokesperson said: “Some of the figures used in this survey are very dubious. The real story is that Burnley was in the top ten for private sector jobs growth in 2014.

“Their figure for the median salary is incorrect, yet they base Burnley’s position in their table on that. The whole survey feels like a publicity stunt.”