It's official: Redbridge is one of the best places to live in the UK
Published: 30 January 2025
Redbridge has been named as one of the best places to live in the UK in 2025.
The borough features on an annual list compiled by The Sunday Times. Redbridge is east London's second highest-placed borough, after Tower Hamlets.
This list has been published annually since 2013 and is usually put together by a panel of expert judges, but they are letting numbers do the talking this year. The Times has ranked each local authority in England by looking at data for nine categories: education, healthcare and crime.
Each category was weighted equally and measured with a numerical value from 1 to 291 - the lower the score, the better. Despite being placed 33 spots lower, Redbridge scored better than Tower Hamlets in the 'crime' category, where it was given a value of 135.
The quality of education in Redbridge is the leading factor for the borough's high placement. A score of 22 was given for the borough's schools, which looked at the percentage of schools rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted. Additionally, a score of 15 was given in the 'Progress 8' category, which records the average attainment 8 score for 2023-24.
In the Parks category, which looked at the number of Green Flag parks per 10,000 people, Redbridge scored 86.
The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Kam Rai: "With our Outstanding Green Flag parks and green spaces, vibrant communities, bustling high streets, exceptional schools, and brilliant transport links, it's little wonder that Redbridge has been officially recognised as one of the best places in the UK to live.
"Despite having to put up with 14 years of government austerity, we are a borough that continually punches above its weight by providing good value for money services. An independent organisation recently undertook a report, which found Redbridge is second in the country for delivering value for money for its residents.
"Much of our success is also down to the hundreds of volunteers who dedicate their time to making our borough a better place. Whether it's a community litter pick, tree planting day, or a play streets scheme for children, they all play a huge role in making their neighbourhoods a better place.”
"While we, as a council, strive to provide the best services, our financial situation means we can only do so much. However, by sharing responsibility and supporting each other in our communities, we can all work together to keep Redbridge a fantastic place to live. I know we have much more to do, but it is great to see our council, community, and partners' efforts have been recognised."
