Laughable tabloid poll ranks Aylesbury as the worst place to live in England

Aylesbury has topped a laughable new tabloid poll ranking our town as the worst place to live in England, receiving 25% more votes than the town in second.

A blog released by Ilivehere.co.uk revealed Aylesbury was considered the least appealing place to live in the nation. And the tabloids quickly regurgitated the pathetic poll which saw just 110,172 people vote from the country's 56 million population.

Previously, Peterborough had taken the crown for three consecutive years, this time the small city dropped down to fifth place.

Inexplicably voters overlooked Aylesbury's high quality theatre, the always appealing Waddesdon Manor and picturesque Grand Union Canal. Aylesbury's rich musical history, commuting links to London and beyond and the fact it is the birthplace of the Paralympic Games was also ignored.

The character and tradition of the market town, which was once a favourite stopping ground of England's most famous monarch, Henry VIII, also went overlooked.

The poll completely contradicts recent reports from media outlets in London suggesting Aylesbury is the perfect, affordable commuter town.

It ignores Aylesbury's status as a town which is growing and surrounded by other prosperous places like Oxford and Watford.

Controversially, Huddersfield finished second despite its host of highly-rated ale houses, Luton received the third-highest amount of votes.

Voters mentioned Aylesbury's notorious traffic problemsas a key reason for wanting away, while crime and safety fears were also referenced in passing.

While traffic is an undeniable issue, anyone travelling to neighbouring towns will experience similar problems.

The comments on Aylesbury were remarkably harsh and somewhat narrow-minded.

One voter said: "As you enter into Aylesbury, you find yourself in a traffic jam. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the tour. Being stuck in the traffic allows you to observe the magnificent beauty of all the ‘trashy citizens’ that live there."

Another scathing comment read: "If you’re a middle to upper class family or individual looking to move to Aylesbury, then ensure you employ four full-time security guards and a dog and some barbed wire around your house."

While consistently slow-moving traffic in and out of central Aylesbury remains an infuriating problem, ranking our town as the worst place to live in the entire country is a baffling choice.

With an influx of new housing planned, Aylesbury is an expanding market town with a clear identity and a series of exciting live events planned for 2022.

Councillor Gareth Williams told The Bucks Herald that the 'unscientific poll' completely ignores the 'huge amount Aylesbury has to offer'.

“We are aware of this somewhat unscientific poll which does contain some pretty unpleasant and offensive content about many places in England," Cllr Williams told The Herald.

"It’s disappointing to see negative comments about Aylesbury but we appreciate people are entitled to their opinion and to share it – we obviously strongly disagree here at the council.

"We think Aylesbury’s got a huge amount to offer – it’s an historic market town, surrounded by beautiful countryside. It has a strong local community and lovely Georgian, Tudor and Jacobean architecture in the old town. It’s one of the UK’s fastest growing towns and was awarded Garden Town status in 2017; in recent months and years the town centre has undergone significant redevelopment with new bars and restaurants opening and more planned.

"Aylesbury also boasts a really strong cultural offer with numerous local events for residents and visitors and the stunning Waterside Theatre regularly hosting top rate performances.

"The council recently agreed the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan which outlines an exciting approach for sustainable development in Aylesbury and beyond, including long term strategies for improving transport infrastructure in the area.

"We strongly think Aylesbury has a huge amount to offer and has a very bright future ahead!”

It is also a town surrounded by the countryside with a host of wildlife centres and grand country houses within touching distance to visit.

Further regeneration of Aylesbury Town Centre and its notoriously gloomy bus station, would be welcome.

But this is also a town which boasts over 60 bars, cafes and restaurants flowing with variety.

Cynical voters also ignored Aylesbury's inclusive reputation and - as mentioned above - the key role Stoke Mandeville played in the global growth of disability sport and the Paralympics.

Bucks was also represented by High Wycombe in the poll, which finished in a more respectable 35th place.