Capital sees fall in city growth index

CARDIFF has fallen in an influential index of the health of UK cities, while Swansea has slightly improved.

- SION BARRY

The annual Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index sees the capital dropping four places to 17th on last year, with Swansea rising one place to 41st.

The index ranks 50 of the UK's largest cities, outsidef Londonand is based on both the public's assessment and the actual performance of 12 economic measures.

These measures include jobs, health, income, safety and skills, as well as work-life balance, housing, transport, income equality, high street and shops, environment and business startups.

Cardiff and Swansea both perform well on metrics relating to income distribution, owner occupation and work-life balance, but fall behind the UK average for income, health and new businesses.

They perform relatively similarly for over half of the variables included within the index, suggesting that they face many of the same challenges.

The key differences are that Swansea is deemed safer - measured by violent crime, weapons and drugs offences than the UK average, and Cardiff is less safe. However, PwC said Swansea has a significantly lower environment score than the UK average, while Cardiff is scored above.

The index also includes an analysis of 16 combined authority areas in the UK.

The Cardiff Capital Region made up of the 10 local authorities of southeast Wales - is down two places on last year's index to sixth, with the Swansea Bay City Region - made up of the local authority areas of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot down one place to 10th. Inverness and Highland City Region is ranked first.