'˜Preston is ahead of the curve' - Reader reaction as Preston named most improved city in the UK

The commercial capital of Lancashire has topped its big brother neighbours Manchester and Liverpool over the past 12 months in a survey of 42 of the largest cities.

Preston is showing the rest of the nation a clean pair of heels based on a combination of economic performance and quality of life.

The seventh annual Good Growth For Cities Index shows Preston out front ahead of other improvers like Middlesbrough, Hull, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Aberdeen.

We asked for your views on the survey and here are a selection from our facebook page....

"For once I agree. It is starting to improve. Just need the roads fixing up more and more attractions."Lauren Mault

"All I can see is loads of house building and most of It not selling - spoiling nice rural and semi rural villages and ramming the country lanes and roads with traffic. To go anywhere now is a nightmare and M6 is a pure accident zone nearly everyday with the M55 following - Preston Ciry centre isn’t great to shop in as no shops hardly just more and more cafes. Sorry but cannot see how that is improving Preston?"Karan Tett

"Perhaps Preston is ahead of the curve regarding town centres. Big stores moving to the outskirts, shared spaces, revamped bus station, church at looks a lot better. The university is expanding, lots more professional well paid jobs. Yes traffic is a negative, but that’s every city. Now if PNE makes the premier League......."David Houghton

"Really !"Gale Evans

"WHAT!!!!!!!!"Alan Almond

"I can only assume they collected their data from a computer rather than visit !! Maybe they will visit Preston when Ikea is built - which is never !!"Laura Elliott

"In what way?"Eileen Prestwich

"More like starting to improve, NOT most improved."Nigel Walter

"Who writes this rubbish. Roads at a standstill, thousands of new houses but no new schools. Fracking!!"Colin Sinnott

"Improved from horrendous to not very good? With all the houses being built and no schools children’s education is going to be really poor."Carl Charnley

"Preston has definitely improved, I have lived here for 26 years."Savvanah Dable

"I’d like to to hear a judge explain it. Because he’s never driven round here. Tried using the constantly rising price buses, or used some of our famously expensive taxis."Mick Almond

"I’d definitely have to agree with this, depsite all the naysayers on here. Think what it was like 10 years ago - it’s vastly improved."Helen Dempster