QUALITY of life in Waverley has been deemed as amongst the best in the country according to a new study.

The Borough emerged sixth in the top ten best places to live in a survey from consumer information company Experian.

It measured levels of crime, health and education services to create an overall quality of life score, with Waverley receiving 119 points against a national average of 100.

However, an apparent high standard of living comes at a cost, with houses in the area coming in at an average of £250,000 - twice the national average.

West and south west of London are perceived to be the best place to live, and Wokingham, Hart, and Surrey Heath are all within the highest rankings.

The most favourable location was The Chilterns which scored just three more than Waverley on 119. Unsurprisingly, deprived inner city areas such as Tower Hamlets and Southwark in London were worst.

Reflecting Waverley's appeal, a number of celebrities live in the area, including Ringo Starr, Anthea Turner, Chris Evans, Sue Barker, Roger Taylor, Jimmy Page and golf commentator Peter Alliss.

In terms of the results, Surrey has maintained its standing as having the lowest crime rates in the country. The borough is widely regarded as being the safest in the county, and standards of education have been consistently high. In particular, South Farnham School has achieved some of the best results in the UK.

The chief executive of Waverley Borough Council, Christine Pointer, welcomed the rating, saying: "Waverley is exquisitely beautiful and the council works hard to preserve the borough's natural beauty, and to ensure that it is attractive to myriad small businesses."

But there is a downside in that young people have difficulty in affording housing in the borough.

Waverley housing portfolio holder Victor Scrivens said: "I am very impressed that quality of life in the borough is good, but we have to make sure that we improve things for those who are less fortunate."

l First-time buyers face 'massive problems' - page 10