Residents have explained why their town was named the best place to live in England.
A 2015 survey for the Royal Mail by the Centre for Economic and Business Research set out to find the most desirable place to live in the UK by postcode, factoring in green spaces, housing, schools and commuting times.
The CH63 postcode came out on top amongst English towns and cities. Located in Wirral, those with CH63 addresses tend to live in the area of Bebington.
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When the ECHO visited the town last week, nearly everyone we spoke to remembered the survey, despite it being released over eight years ago, and took pride in the result. In the Rose and Crown pub on The Village, resident Angus, 63, sang the town’s praises.
He said: “I moved here 35 years ago and I love it, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world. I’m from Glasgow and I originally moved to Liverpool. Then I moved here.
“It’s far cheaper to live here. You’re only a 20 minute train away from Liverpool. But if you live on The Wirral, people act as though you’re in some far away place. My wife sometimes suggests moving, but I’m not interested at all. I want to stay here.”
James Skinner, the owner of the pub, agreed, describing it as a "fantastic place to live". He said: “You can see why Royal Mail put it top of its list.
"I think part of what makes it such a nice place to live is a combination of the number and variety of local schools, a huge number of independent businesses both in Bebington and close by, and great transport links with Liverpool and Chester so easily reachable by train from Bebington and Port Sunlight stations.
“The quality of independent businesses is so high, from great restaurants like Ristorante Italia and Oriental Delight in Bebington, and the Mediterranean Kitchen and Broadway Steak and Wine in Higher Bebington are great places to eat out right on our doorstep.”
However Paul Dorman, 45, said he had grown bored of the area. He said: “I’ve lived here my whole life. It’s all the same people. I want to move.”
The average house price in Bebington is between £200,000 to £230,000, depending on your source. This is compared with the average house price in England of £310,000 according to the Office of National Statistics.
Bebington has a large array of semi-detached houses on Heath Road and the surrounding streets. Wirral Grammar School for Boys and Wirral Grammar School for Girls, both located in the area, are rated as Good and Outstanding by Ofsted respectively. The area is also served by Bebington and Port Sunlight train stations on the Merseyrail Wirral Line. There is a large green space with Mayer Park.
These range of positives attracted Ian Reynolds to the area. Ian, 36, owns the Prost Bottle Shop, which sells craft beers, on Church Road.
He said: “It is a great place to live, with really friendly people. We live in Port Sunlight, but before we were looking at Bebington as well, because the houses are ace. There's a lot of semi-detached areas, a lot of quiet roads.”
Church Road is one of several high streets in the area, alongside a smaller row of shops on Cross Lane and Teehey Lane in Higher Bebington. Ian cites Church Road as another positive to the area, with “new things being added all the time”.
Kathryn, who owns The Little Gift House next door and lives in Bebington, also cited the nice houses, good schools and really good train stations in the area. However, she said the closure of the Co-Op supermarket on Church Road a few years ago was a real loss.
Kathryn said: “It’s lacking that bit of community. I think we’ve suffered since the Co-Op closed. People need a supermarket.
“It’s great to have retail units. But if people could do their food shopping here, they would go into other shops too.”
She expressed frustration that Teehey Lane has a Sainsbury’s Local. There is also a smaller Co-op on Cross Lane.
Opposite to Bebington train station, Michael Myoer, who works in The Carpet Gallery on Old Chester Road, argued there were plenty of schools and job opportunities in Bebington too.
Michael, who lives in Bidston, said: “There's definitely quite a few schools. I wouldn't say there's a lot of low employment around here, it's definitely high. You've got Unilever in Port Sunlight there as well.
“I think the area in general is a friendly area. You'd be welcomed if you wanted to move here.”
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