The Sunday Times has released its regional list of the best place to live in the UK today (March 21), including revealing the best areas in the Nort West of England.
The Sunday Times judges visit all the places in their lists, as well as talk to the locals, looking into factors like schools, transport, broadband speeds, mobile signal, culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street. Woolton in Liverpool took the top spot among seven areas in the North West, being named the best place to live in the region.
The Sunday Times judges said: “Everything is within walking distance in the Liverpool suburb where Lennon and McCartney met for the first time. Its independent-minded village centre has cool coffee shops, a formidable fromagerie and cocktail bars, as well as a belting neighbourhood boozer in the Elephant Pub and Bakehouse. It’s a gloriously family-friendly place to put down roots, with excellent schools, parks and even a patch of woodland.”
What is more, the overall best place to live in the UK is officially Saffron Walden in Essex due to its “knockout historic looks with excellent state schools, rich cultural offering and an exploding foodie scene as well as its convenient commuter links”.
Speaking of how the ranking is made, Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “What makes our guide unique is that we actually visit all the places we choose and talk to locals to find out what life is really like there,” Davies says. “That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. That could be anything from exceptional schools and fast trains to beautiful houses and countryside.
The health of the high street is important, but more than anything else, what we are looking for are towns, villages and cities with strong communities who work hard to make the best of where they live and play hard too.
We also consider affordability. High house prices are no barrier to inclusion – as long as they provide value for money. Different people will be looking for different qualities when they are choosing a place to live. One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
The best places to live in the North West
- Woolton, Liverpool
- The Heatons, Greater Manchester
- Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
- Knutsford, Cheshire
- Malpas, Cheshire
- Mossley, Greater Manchester
- Parbold, Lancashire