CHESTER has been named as one of the most progressive cities in the UK - especially when it comes to recycling.

The city received an almost-perfect score of 4.9/5 for the category of recycling in the new study from Bankrate, a brand which aims to make home ownership in the UK easier and more attainable.

Entitled Woke nation, it assessed 50 cities across the UK on their progressiveness - or wokeness - in order to find out where the most forward-thinking areas are in which to live and work.

This was defined not only by recognition of social and environmental issues, but also by how the city handles them and enables positive change.

The study evaluated seven categories of data: Google search trends, gender pay gap, recycling rates, voter turnout, vegan and vegetarian availability, ultra-low emission vehicles and council diversity. Each city was awarded a score out of five per bracket, which then formed the overall rankings.

It was discovered that Oxford boasts the highest overall score across the UK at 23.82 out of a possible 35. However, interestingly, it did not rank highest in any individual category.

The city of Chester emerged in eleventh place on the list with an overall score 20.52.

The city of St Albans (progressiveness: 19.23) was found to have the highest recycling rate across the UK with a score of 5/5, and the city ranked in 18th place for its progressiveness overall.

Considering that the city’s district council offers citizens up to five recycling boxes free of charge, this figure shows that its sustainability efforts are working according to plan.

The complete list of top 50 most progressive cities in the UK here is available at: www.bankrate.com/uk/mortgages/woke-index/