One Surrey area has been crowned the best place to live in the South East, according to a new list. Crunching numbers and stats instead of expert judges and reviews, the new data saw the district just miss out on the top 10 best places to live in the country.
Using data on crime, school ratings, NHS waiting lists, the number of listed buildings and Green Flag park awards, The Times’ data team came up with the top places to live on paper. Mole Valley came 13th in the country’s list, with low crime and top schools.
Richmond, topped the leaderboard as best place to live in the country, with the lowest crime rate in London and a high GP satisfaction rate of 80 per cent. But you have to stomach the average house prices being £748,000. The South East list also highlighted West Oxfordshire, Epsom and Ewell, Wokingham and Winchester.
With the average house price just under £550k in Mole Valley, and nearly a quarter of schools Ofsted-rated outstanding, what’s not to like? Most of the district live in the stunning market towns of Dorking and Leatherhead, with the villages of Ashtead and Fetcham wrapped in the countryside. Mole Valley also has a below average crime rate and one of the lowest in Surrey, which commentators put down to its strong community feel in the towns.
Nestled in the heart of Surrey, Mole Valley boasts both the idyllic countryside views of Box Hill, Leith Hill and charming villages like Bookham. At the centre of the Surrey Hills, it is no wonder Mole Valley has more than 200 accessible and internationally recognised parks.
Also high scoring highly, Mole Valley has more than a thousand listed buildings ranging from bridges, viaducts, farm houses and, of course, Betchworth Castle. Medieval landmarks and military forts are just part of many fabrics which make up the rich history of the area.
Patients rated NHS services at Surrey Heartlands ‘good’ overall with a 75 per cent satisfaction rate. Averaging around 13.2 weeks in waiting for NHS treatment, Mole Valley comes neatly under the 18-week target, where only 58 per cent of patients are being treated within that time.