HEREFORD has been given its highest ever ranking in a table of the best UK shopping venues.

The city now sits 76th having risen 38 places in the space of just 12 months - the biggest rise of any town or city in the country.

The multi-million pound Old Market development, which opened in May this year, is one of the main reasons for the improved score, according to the Javelin Group's Venuescore rankings.

Cllr Roger Phillips, who led Herefordshire Council during the scheme's fledgling stages, said he was "delighted" to see such results within a short time of the £90 million scheme opening.

"The whole purpose of the redevelopment of the livestock market for retail was to add to the existing city centre offer and increase the shoppers and customers coming to Hereford and reverse the decline in footfall over the years," said Cllr Phillips.

"High streets nationally face challenging times and I am confident that the new development supports our existing city centre and puts Hereford in a better place to face these challenges."

Back in 1998-99, when the Javelin Group began the rankings guide, Hereford was ranked 129th in the UK before rising steadily to its previous high of 79th eight years ago.

However, the city's ranking then started to drop steadily and was as low as 113th in 2011.

The Old Market was the only significant retail centre to open in the UK this year. It was not universally welcomed, however, with the political party It's Our City, which later became It's Our County (IOC), opposing the idea.

Its current leader says the party's concerns over the historic shopping core remain.

"We all want Hereford to be a successful city for local residents and an attractive place for visitors," said Cllr Anthony Powers.

"After all the investment and subsidies for the Old Market, obviously Hereford should be a rising retail destination.

"But it's all about balance: the exodus of businesses from High Town and the historic centre to the Old Market continues; premises remain vacant, and the Buttermarket has been neglected for years.

"If a few more major retailers leave the centre then that could be the tipping point. The danger is that Hereford becomes the 'ring donut' we've been warning about all along."

According to the Javelin Group, Glasgow is the UK's top shopping destination, followed by Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Liverpool.

• Meanwhile, shoppers headed to the Old Market last Saturday as the development's Christmas lights were switched on. The light in High Town, went live last Wednesday in front of a crowd of hundreds.