Archived press release

Date Published: 17/08/06

Aylesbury Vale’s quality of life ranks amongst the highest in the UK according to a new study. A survey published by Halifax Home Insurance, incorporating data from the ONS, Met Office, Department for Transport and the Halifax house price d...

Aylesbury Vale’s quality of life ranks amongst the highest in the UK according to a new study.

A survey published by Halifax Home Insurance, incorporating data from the ONS, Met Office, Department for Transport and the Halifax house price database, shows that those living in Aylesbury Vale enjoy a better overall standard of living than the majority of local authority areas in Great Britain. This is great news not only for people who already live and work in the district but also for businesses who want to invest in the Vale and attract staff to work for them.

The study tracks where living standards are highest in the UK by ranking local performance across key indicators of the labour market, the housing market, the environment, education and health.

The findings of the Halifax Home Insurance Survey confirm:
• Aylesbury Vale is eighth in the quality of life ranking in Great Britain
• The district offers the best value for money for homebuyers in the top 10 local authority areas
• The area has a high employment rate (85 per cent compared to the national average of 75 per cent)
• There is a low percentage of empty homes in the Vale ( 2 per cent compared to a national average of 3 per cent)  and a low burglary rate (3.8 per 1,000 population compared to a national average of 4.9)
• Houses are larger than average (5.8 rooms compared to a national average of 5.3) and there are more houses with central heating (97 per cent compared to a national average of 91 per cent)
• Householders are generally healthy (94 per cent in good or fair health) and the area also has 28.2 hours of sunshine per week, which is in line with the British average

In twenty two of the twenty five local authority areas with the best quality of life, house prices trade at a premium to the average house price in their region. On average this premium is £65,643 or 29 per cent. Aylesbury Vale trades at a £8,254 discount to the regional average house price of £236,934 and potentially offers the best value for money for homebuyers in the top ten local authority areas.

Aylesbury Vale District Council and Aylesbury Vale Advantage, the organisation charged with overseeing growth in the Vale, are working hard to maintain the high standard of living enjoyed by local residents. Over the next few years a number of projects in the district will be coming to fruition, helping to further strengthen quality of life and develop more job opportunities so that people who choose to take advantage of the quality of life and live in the Vale can also work in the area.

The Waterside redevelopment in Aylesbury town centre is one of the council’s key projects. The scheme will create a new shopping area, which will include a department store and several household retail names new to the town centre; a first class theatre and entertainment centre; a new food store; and housing developments alongside the canal and at Circus Field. It is anticipated that the development will create more than 1200 new jobs.

New employment opportunities will also be provided when a major new business park is created at Aston Clinton. The project will comprise of 150,000m2 of commercial development and up to 100 homes for local workers.

Thanks to a fantastic £25.5 million grant from the Housing Corporation, 666 new affordable homes will be provided in the district over the next two years, including 577 homes with affordable rent and 89 for shared ownership. One of the key sites to benefit is Aylesbury New Lodge at Griffin Lane, Aylesbury, where around £10 million will be spent to provide 105 rooms and flats for families requiring immediate housing.

The council has also received a £1 million grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to upgrade the district’s parks and open spaces. Thanks to this grant, a new sports zone is currently being built at Vale Park, which will include a new bowling green, tennis courts and a multi-use games area. The DCLG grant will also fund the creation of more kickabout areas, and bulbs and flowering trees will also be planted to make the Vale even more attractive.

Buckinghamshire County Council is also contributing to the improvements in the district by creating a new public transport hub in Aylesbury town centre with a grant from the ‘Community Infrastructure Fund’ (CIF). The scheme, which is already underway, will ease the movement of buses around the town centre, improve links for buses and pedestrians between the railway station and the town centre and improve conditions for bus passengers, as well as those cycling and walking. Improvements include a major refurbishment of the bus station, new bus lanes and a new road link between the railway station and Friarage Road.

Councillor Peter Cooper, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “We are delighted that Aylesbury Vale has received this recognition in a national survey. As one of the Government’s designated growth areas, Aylesbury Vale has an exciting and challenging future and we are determined to put the district on the map as a great place to live, work, run a business and visit. With new leisure facilities and affordable housing, a redeveloped town centre and a thriving and expanding local economy, we have every intention of building on our success and finishing higher in the rankings next time.”

Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Chairman of Aylesbury Vale Advantage, said: “I am delighted to learn that Aylesbury Vale was rated eighth in the table of twenty-five local authority areas with the best quality of life in the UK. It is worth noting that Aylesbury Vale Advantage’s six core themes for action are identical to the key performance indicators used in this study to measure quality of life ratings. As chairman of Aylesbury Vale Advantage, the local delivery vehicle responsible for delivery of the growth agenda for Aylesbury Vale, we are working with our partners and local stakeholders to sustain and improve these quality of life indicators for the benefit of all who live in the Vale.”

Residents of Elmbridge in Surrey have the best quality of life in the UK. The other members of the top five best places to live in the UK behind Elmbridge are Hart, Wokingham, Chiltern and East Dorset.