Sevenoaks earns title of best place to live in Kent

KentOnline / KMTV

The Sunday Times ranked the best spots to settle down in the country, but Sevenoaks was the only representative from the county.  Finn Macdiarmid reports...

Transcript

00:00You are in the most beautiful part of the country, and you're within striking distance of London.

00:06What is your favourite thing about Sevenoaks, sir?

00:09The independent shops, the people that live here.

00:14We feel very comfortable. I've lived in Sevenoaks for a very long time.

00:19Oh, I'd have to say La Manica, wouldn't I? Where the shop I work in.

00:24We are the champions of the county.

00:26That's what Sevenoaks locals can say after the Sunday Times ranked where in the UK was the best to live,

00:32and Sevenoaks was the only one on the list from Kent.

00:35The paper's guide says that excellent schools, a buzzing community and its medieval deer park,

00:40Noel Park, are all rewarding reasons to live in the area.

00:44People have been telling us all the things they like about their local town,

00:47but it can't be all sunshine and rainbows.

00:50So let's find out what they maybe don't like so much about Sevenoaks.

00:53And who would know better than Catherine and Prilla, who have worked in the town for most of their lives.

00:58I think it's a lovely place, you know.

01:02But it's sad that some of the places that were individual places are sort of dying out really now.

01:11And what else could make Sevenoaks even better?

01:14I would reduce the parking, please.

01:18It rather lacks a sort of dynamic compared to, say, even not so large of towns like Tunbridge.

01:27It's an endless stream of traffic and it's very narrow.

01:32Sometimes it's dangerous when you get to the other end of the high street.

01:36So, yeah, the traffic needs to be sorted out.

01:40But with concerns about local businesses, one of the best rated restaurants in the town

01:45say that Sevenoaks will only improve as the weather gets better.

01:49Obviously we were going through the Christmas period and things, so there was a lot of pressure to deal with.

01:54But since we're coming into the warmer weather, it seems to be smoothing out.

01:58I think because where we're a less of a busy area, I think people might be quite attracted to that

02:03rather than going to London where it's a bit overpowering with all the people and things like that.

02:10So I think it's a nice little spot, actually.

02:14On Sevenoaks, locals say they like its quiet nature, scenic sights and how close it is to London.

02:19But admit it does still have its issues, from high house prices to expensive parking.

02:24Now, despite all that and the fact it no longer has all of its Sevenoaks,

02:28it's still managed to earn a spot in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in the UK.

02:32Finn McDermid for KMTV in Sevenoaks.

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