FARNHAM and its surrounding villages and countryside have again shot to the top of the annual Halifax Quality of Life survey after something of a lay year in 2016.

Hart district to the north of Farnham, including Crondall, Church Crookham and Fleet, regained its crown as the UK’s best place to live in 2017, based on residents’ health and life expectancy, well-being, earnings, employment, a low crime rate and relatively good weather.

It is the fifth time in six years Hart has topped the survey, having fallen to a disappointing 26th last year.

Waverley borough, encompassing Farnham, Godalming, Cranleigh and Haslemere, also shot back into the top 10, climbing from 17th to seventh having last topped the list in 2013.

The Quality of Life index aims to quantify where living standards are highest in the UK by ranking local performance across a range of indicators covering the labour market, the housing market, the environment, education, health, personal well-being and leisure.

Hart regained top spot after improving relative to other local authorities on average earnings, employment rate and in the Office of National Statistics (ONS) personal well-being survey, where it also scored strongly compared to 2016.

Having such great quality of life comes at a price, however, with the cost of living in Hart much higher than in many other parts of the UK – and an average house price of £419,231 standing at 8.8 times the average annual pre-tax local income, compared to the national average of 7.3.

Hart residents feel fit and well with more than nine in 10 (97 per cent) reporting good or fairly good health, according to the survey. It also has the longest average female life expectancy in the UK of 86.7 years, and third longest for males (82.5).

Hart has one of the highest employment rates with eight in 10 (84 per cent) 16 to 64 year olds in work and weekly average earnings of £844, and the latest ONS figures indicate adults in the district are among the most happy, satisfied and content in the UK.

Residents enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in the country and have a relatively good climate with more sunshine (32.5 hours per week against the national average of 29.7 hours).

Russell Galley, Halifax managing director, said: “Hart seems to have been offering residents an unrivalled mix of living standards for five of the last six years, seeing employment rates, average earnings and ONS personal well-being rankings bounce back after falling from the top spot last year.

“Along with Hart, many areas in southern England score strongly in categories including the labour markets and health. Northern areas tend to perform well on education and benefit from more affordable properties with lower house prices to earnings.”

David Neighbour, leader of Hart District Council, added: “It’s great to see that the Halifax recognise the attributes which residents of Hart value so greatly and contribute to the quality of life we enjoy.

“This year we’re back at the top spot and it’s due to our continued investment in our resident’s well-being. Our new £23 million pound state-of-the-art leisure centre and new Bramshott Country Park are testament of this.

“Through our new Corporate Plan we will continue to deliver our key activities and priorities to encourage a thriving local economy, maintain a clean, green and safe environment, keep our communities healthy, and making sure we become a more efficient and effective council.

“We face some challenges over the next few years with increasing pressure to provide more affordable homes and infrastructure with reduced government funding, but through all of this, we will remain committed to deliver services that continue to keep Hart as the best place to live.”

More than two-thirds (35) of the top 50 best places to live in the UK are in southern England, with 17 in the South East, a further nine areas in the East of England, five in the South West and four in London. As well as Hart (first), these areas include last year’s winner Winchester (fifth), Wokingham (sixth) and Waverley (seventh).

The remaining 15 are in Yorkshire and the Humber (six), West Midlands (four) the East Midlands (two), Scotland, Wales and the North West (all one).