Wirral's independent local news website
West Kirby has been named by the Sunday Times as one of the best locations to live in the Northwest of England.
It is in a list of eight locations in the region chosen by The Sunday Times in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
The comprehensive guide, which includes 70 locations, is released online today and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges behind the guide assess a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.
They look to celebrate improving towns, villages or city centres, attractive, well-designed homes and locations bursting with community spirit – which the pandemic has shown to be the most vital quality of all.
An average house price for each location has been supplied by Halifax, the sponsor of the guide, and up-to-date information on broadband speeds has been provided by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband.
Please note: apart from the regional winner, the other locations are not ranked:
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2022: Northwest of England
Tim Palmer, Key Best Places to Live Judge and Writer told birkenhead.news, “First of all, West Kirby is in a beautiful spot. The view across the Dee estuary is enough to lift anybody’s spirits. But it’s not just pretty, it’s an outdoorsy, healthy place, with so many great ways to get out and enjoy the scenery right from the front door, whether it’s walking out across the sands to Hilbre Island, strolling round the Marine Lake or cycling on the Wirral Way.
“The schools are great and the Wirral Line train is handy, too. But the thing that always strikes me most of all is the number of brilliant cafes, and how busy they always are. There’s something really uplifting about seeing so many people out and about enjoying where they live.”
“I think the pandemic has made people appreciate how healthy it is to be by the sea – especially during those first lockdowns when no one could go anywhere. British seaside towns have had a tough time, and too many of them either suffer from serious deprivation, while others are too far at the other end of the scale – hollowed out by wealthy second-homeowners.
“We’re always looking for those seaside towns that are neither off-puttingly posh, nor too run-down. That definitely includes West Kirby – and Hoylake and Heswall – which are all among the happy places where it’s possible to live happily all year round.”
Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor said, “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?
“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.
“This year we have discovered new best places to live from resurgent city centres in the North, rejuvenated suburbs across the country, hidden villages in the Southwest, and a commutable Scottish island.
“We hope there is something to suit everyone.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-live
Image: © Secret Pilgrim (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Why not follow birkenhead.news on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to news@birkenhead.news