Stoke-on-Trent has been named as the sixth best city in the UK to start a business in 2019, beating rivalling cosmopolitan cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Research conducted by card payment solutions provider, PaymentSense, ranked cities based on factors such as business survival rates, weekly salary, average costs of rent for a one-bed apartment, population and the number of employed adults.

It was found that 39.3 per cent of businesses in Stoke-on-Trent survive their initial five-year start-up period - 3.2% more than those in Glasgow, and 1.8% more than those in Manchester.

It is also noted that the city’s heritage - as the home of the United Kingdom’s ceramics industry, and the historic canal network - have boosted tourism in the area, playing a large part in making Stoke-on-Trent a desirable place to start a company.

Cabinet Member for Education and Economy, Councillor Janine Bridges said:

“It’s fantastic that we are one of the top cities in the country for new businesses to launch, grow and flourish.

“We work hard to help businesses to locate in the city and provide tailor made support to meet the needs. The Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone is one of the fastest growing enterprise zones in the country and we have a number of employment sites ready for development. I look forward to welcoming many more business owners in the future to continue to build upon the on-going transformation of our city.”

Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Councillor Ann James commented:

“It’s brilliant to see Stoke-on-Trent being recognised for its great business potential and opportunities for budding entrepreneurs."

“Last year, the city was listed as one of the top 12 places for city living in Britain, and came 16th in a YouGov study that asked more than 55,000 people if they liked particular cities across England, Wales and Scotland. It’s evident from all of these acknowledgements that Stoke-on-Trent really is on the up."

“There are so many opportunities and exciting business developments happening and in the pipeline, including the regeneration of Unity Walk and the brand new four-star Hilton hotel in the city centre.

“We are committed to developing our business opportunities and to bringing more people into our city.”