Edinburgh is the Best Place to Live in the UK

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Edinburgh is the Best Place to Live in the UK - 18 October 2007

Edinburgh is the best place to live in the UK according to Channel 4’s flagship property programme Location, Location, Location.

Based on statistical information on crime, environment, lifestyle, education and employment Scotland’s capital is second to none.

The announcement was made on Wednesday night live from the city’s Quartermile development to an invited audience including Council Leader Cllr Jenny Dawe.

Cllr Dawe said: “This result is great news for the city and confirms what we all know – Edinburgh is a great place to live, work, invest and visit. The city truly has the best of everything; stunning architecture, fantastic employment opportunities, a vibrant leisure and retail offering, abundant green space, outstanding schools and universities…the list goes on.

“This is the latest in a series of positive and independent accolades, continuing the well-deserved recognition for the businesses and communities that make Edinburgh an outstanding city. The results echo loud and clear the conclusions of a recent MORI Poll of Edinburgh citizens which showed record levels of satisfaction with the city. We are rightly proud of our excellent quality of life and I am delighted that Edinburgh has topped the poll.”

Tonight’s accolade reflects Edinburgh’s strengths in a number of key areas.

With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the UK, workers based in Edinburgh enjoy an enviable quality of life with access to fantastic parks and leisure facilities within the city. Within very close proximity they can enjoy beautiful beaches and countryside in the Lothians. The city is also recognized for its community feel and friendly atmosphere.

Edinburgh is a cultural epicentre and is world renowned for its year round festival programme, Edinburgh’s summer festivals combine to form the world’s biggest programme of arts festivals. They provide a massive boost to Scotland’s economy, bringing in £135 million and supporting 2,900 full time jobs. The Winter Festivals bring a sparkle to the wintery months with our Hogmanay recognized as one of the biggest New Year celebrations in the world and generating £30million annually.

Each year the Winter Festivals attract over half a million people into the city centre. The people living here love them too with 78% of residents agreeing that Edinburgh is a better place to live because of our Festive activities programme.

Edinburgh’s business economy is also buoyant and we are a world leader in the financial services and science and technology sectors. The city is home to five major financial institutions, including HBOS and the new RBS headquarters at Gogar, sending a strong message that the city is a major global player.

Tonight’s accolade also reflects Edinburgh’s growing reputation as a premier retail destination. Harvey Nichols and Multrees Walk have raised the profile while George Street and William Street are examples of shopping areas undergoing a revival. Plans are also underway for a £169m regeneration of the St James Shopping Centre. This, combined with an estimated £500m investment in the city’s iconic Princes Street over the next 10 years, shows there is considerable confidence in the city centre as a desirable retail destination.

The draw of the city as a major business hub means that the city is in a period of unprecedented growth with an estimated 30,000 new jobs in the city in the coming decade and 50,000 new residents moving to Edinburgh and the Lothians within the same period. With business, leisure and residential developments primarily occurring in the growth areas to the North, West and South East of the city we are creating an entirely modern ‘New Town’ for the 21st Century. The city is also a world-leader in the life sciences sector with international renowned academic institutions and high technology companies choosing to locate here.

Here’s a taste of just some of the factors that have led Edinburgh to being awarded the title of ‘Best Place to Live in the UK’

* Edinburgh is a wonderfully green city, with approximately 40% of the urban area being green space including 147 parks, gardens and woodland areas
* In the last 9 years, 300 acres of new parks have been created in Edinburgh, and the new Parks and Gardens Strategy carries a £5 million investment
* Edinburgh is the jewel in the crown of the Scottish tourism economy providing a gateway to the rest of the country. Attracting 1.3million international visitors annually – 45% of all overseas tourists to Scotland.
* Visitors spend around £1.7billion in the city annually.
* We have some of the country’s most iconic tourism attractions including the Castle, Edinburgh Zoo, Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament
* We have a growing population at 453,670 - a clear sign that people want to live in the city.
* With just 1.9% unemployment amongst our work-age citizens – well below the national average.
* Free personal and nursing care was introduced in July 2002 for people aged 65 and over. The number of people in Edinburgh currently receiving Free Personal or Nursing Care is 4,315
* Edinburgh was the first local authority to put in place an older people’s strategy – A City for All Ages. This strategy is now entering its second stage and has received extensive praise particularly around the meaningful involvement of older people themselves. It has also been nominated for a Eurocities Award in the innovation category.
* The City was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995 and is the world’s first City of Literature.
* Edinburgh is the UK’s place to visit for the perfect night out, according to an Amstel/Virgin Radio poll – thanks to the rich diversity and vibrancy of its venues.
* Edinburgh has also been voted European City of the Year at the 2006 Urbanism Awards. The city was praised by the judges for being an “attractive, safe and enticing place for people to play, visit and enjoy”.
* Edinburgh's unique ‘Get up and Go’ programme offers a one stop shop of hundreds of social, educational and sporting opportunities to people over the age of 50, and particularly at those who normally find it difficult to get involved in activities.
* Crime rates have dropped by 2% in the last year with Edinburgh having the lowest crime rate amongst all Scottish cities.
* The city also offers a wealth of sporting opportunities for all ages and has proudly staged a wide variety of national and international events. Next year sees the arrival of the World Cross Country Championships in March and the annual return of urban adventure racing in the form of the Rat Race.
* The latest addition, the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho, is home to the world's largest indoor climbing arena and has 10,000 visitors each month.

Ailsa Falconer, Manager of the Edinburgh Inspiring Capital Brand, said: "I am absolutely delighted that Edinburgh has won this accolade, it is a huge complement for the city. We should all feel extremely proud and fortunate to live in such an inspiring place. “