BRIGHTON has been dubbed the UK’s most successful seaside city, according to a new report by the House of Lords.

The report called Brighton a “city of sanctuary” with a “vibrant” cultural scene and diverse economy. It said the key to the city’s success is its educated population and booming businesses in the digital sector.

Lord Bassam, chairman of the Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns, said Brighton showed seaside towns could reinvent themselves.

He said: “Brighton is probably the UK’s most successful seaside community, but it wasn’t always that way, certainly not in the 1970s and 1980s.

“Now it’s got a diverse economy and good transport links to London. The university students refresh the city every year and the population is growing.”

The report said Brighton has a number of key ingredients for its success. The 350-plus independent shops around the city give it a strong retail offering, the committee said.

Brighton’s booming digital industry has also improved the town’s fortunes, growing by 40 per cent over the past five years.

The ten million tourists who visit annually fuel a tourist industry that provides the city with 20 per cent of its workforce.

In fact, Brighton’s economy in general is doing well as 14,300 jobs have been created since 2011, while 2,700 new businesses have started up in the last seven years.

The report says the city’s success also comes thanks to its educated population.

More than 50 per cent of working-age adults have a degree, well above the national average of 38 per cent.

Lord Bassam added the city’s welcoming nature meant more people were coming to the city, both from inside the UK and abroad.

About 3,800 international migrants came to the city in 2016, while Brighton attracts the second-highest number of people leaving London.

Lord Bassam added: “The city’s diversity and the lifestyle appeal of Brighton and Hove enables it to succeed in spite of the difficulties it has with costly housing, poverty, and health issues.

“Brighton and Hove’s welcoming feel adds to its sense of inclusiveness and wellbeing.”

The report also outlined some of the city’s problems, despite its successful status.

Brighton’s population will increase to 300,000 by 2030, with the number of over-60s increasing by 30 per cent in 20 years.

This could put more pressure on the city’s housing, as well as its congested roads. Brighton is one of only nine areas in the UK to have more than eight rough sleepers per 10,000 households. It’s also one of Europe’s 30 most congested cities, with six air quality management areas currently in effect.

But Lord Bassam, of Brighton, said he thought the council and police are tackling these issues.

He added the biggest worry for the city should be lack of government funding and the potential effects of Brexit affecting its tourist industry.