Agency produces controversial league table of ‘best towns’

Savills and the Daily Telegraph newspaper have combined to produce a league table of what they claim to be Britain’s 50 best towns and small cities.

Using census data to assess a number of criteria, the agency has put the Hertfordshire town of Harpenden in first spot.

These key factors include the number of residents holding managerial jobs, their level of qualifications, their health state and the costs of buying a house. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly the south east and east of England - both hotspots of Savills activity - dominate, although not exclusively.

Savills says: “Common features of our high-ranking towns and small cities include being near a racecourse, castle, cathedral/abbey or the River Thames.”

Indeed Hertfordshire alone has over 10 per cent of the entries with Harpenden joined by Chorleywood, Berkhamstead, St Albans, Rickmansworth and Hitchen.

There were just two locations in the East and West Midlands and only two in Yorkshire and a solitary entry in the north west.

There have been some eyebrows raised by the list.

The York Press, for example, carried editorial comment that it was surprised York did not feature while Savills itself said Bath was ‘flying the flag for the south west’ - although it’s over 120 miles even from the border with Cornwall. 

You can see the full list here.