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South Cambridgeshire is the best place to live in rural Britain, according to a survey by the Halifax
The countryside around Cambridge is the best place to live in rural Britain, according to a Halifax survey which gave it the top spot for its mix of high incomes, life expectancy, good health, high educational standards – and the fact that it doesn't rain too much.
In a survey of every rural area in the UK, South Cambridgeshire emerged at the top of the table, closely followed by East Hertfordshire, Uttlesford (the area around Stansted Airport) and Aylesbury Vale in Buckinghamshire.
Outside the south and east of England, the top-rated spots were Rushcliffe, south of Nottingham, and Wychavon in Worcestershire.
But South Cambridgeshire edged ahead of every other part of the UK with 95% of its 140,000 residents reporting generally good health, and the highest life expectancy of any rural area in the country.
Average weekly earnings across the area, made up of 105 villages, are £739, and the employment rate, at 79%, is one of the highest in the UK. The area, which includes the village of Grantchester made famous by Rupert Brooke and latterly Jeffrey Archer, derives most of its prosperity from the university city it encircles.
Alex Colyer, executive director of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "It's a very vibrant place with a science and education-driven economy which ripples out of Cambridge. We have lots of biotech and science companies and low levels of deprivation."
Recession and austerity have barely touched the district, where house prices rose strongly through 2010 and currently average around £275,000. Unemployment is below 2% and employment in the R&D sector is 18 times the national average.
The council says one of its biggest challenge is public transport. "We have a very high reliance on cars in this area and cuts to public transport are an issue for us."
Halifax measured every rural location in Britain on criteria including home size, traffic flows, employment, crime, weather, and GCSE results.
Employment was highest in Ryedale in North Yorkshire and the Shetlands, both at 86%. The Western Isles had the lowest burglary rate, least traffic and smallest school class sizes. At the other end of the country, the Isle of Wight scored highest for sunshine, while the Isles of Scilly, Teesdale and Wear Valley in County Durham were top for GCSE results.
