An annual list ranking the most desirable office locations has seen Colchester climb to the top 50.

CACI, a planning consultancy complied of location strategists and data analyst experts, has published its Hot 100 UK Office Locations, which ranks the best working environments outside of London.

Last year’s analysis saw Colchester ranked 82nd but this year the town has climbed 34 places to 48th, as a result of recent improvements made to the town’s business sector by Colchester Council.

Council leader Mark Cory said: “The council is allocating considerable resources into the increasing demand for, and opportunities to develop, workspaces for businesses and organisations which wish to expand.

“Colchester’s improvement is a fantastic reflection of the investment in the town.

“Long known for being Britain’s first city and oldest recorded town, today Colchester is one of the fastest growing places in the UK.”

The rigorous study, which sees the company assess 373 locations within the UK outside of the capital, grades each location between A to E and takes into consideration several factors including the location’s number of workers and public transport access.

The full list, which was this year topped by Brighton and Hove, can be viewed on propertyweek.com.