High Peak named as best place to retire in East Midlands

High Peak has been named as the best place to retire in the East Midlands and one of the 12 best places to retire nationally. Photo Jason Chadwick

Consumer group Which? has released new data which puts the High Peak as one of the top 12 places to retire nationally when looking at people’s healthcare, happiness and the average house price.

High Peak came top of the list in its local area, according to Which? analysis.Out of 10 it scored a six for healthcare, 7.9 for happiness, and parks and playing fields scored 6.”A Which spokesperson said: “House prices in the area are on average around £242,000. “Local attractions include the Peak District National Park.“There are only a handful of GP surgeries in the district, which are mainly located in the centres of Buxton and Chapel-En-Le-Frith. The area is close to Manchester and Stockport, which each have hospitals and large supermarkets a 40-minute drive away.”The healthcare score in England was based on the average distance to the nearest GP and the average distance to the nearest pharmacy. Healthcare in Scotland and Wales was based on GP surgeries per 10,000 people, and in Northern Ireland on surgeries per 100,000 registered patients.

Happiness scores come from surveys by the Office for National Statistics, asking respondents to rate their happiness out of 10.

Parks and playing fields is based on the average number of of parks and playing fields within 1km.

Crime rates and house price affordability also factored into the final scores, as well as wider health and happiness scores. Also factored in for England was the average distance to the nearest sports/leisure facilities.

The High Peak topped the poll for the East Midlands region and residents from across the 12 regions across the UK were interviewed.

Advising people to start think about their retirement early Jenny Ross of Which? added: “The sooner you can start financially preparing for retirement, the better. Check your state pension forecast and track down any lost pension pots to get a clearer picture of whether you’re on track. That way you’ll be prepared to make the move if you decide it’s for you.”