Best & Worst Places To Live Cannock Chase: 16th Worst

Date Published:

04/06/2008

Widely referred to as the 'green heart of Staffordshire', Cannock Chase is a rich canvas of woodlands, heathlands and valleys. It's also the smallest Area of Outstanding National Beauty in mainland Britain at 26 square miles.

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Phil And Kirstie's View

With 26 square miles classed as outstanding beauty you'd think Cannock Chase would be a great place to live? Think again... just under the surface - literally - lies the reason for Cannock Chase's poor showing on our list of losers - coal.

The closure of the mines was a big blow and the economy is still in the pits... but is digging its way out due to fresh investment. There are below average job opportunities and for those with work it's not good news, as residents here work long hours and yet they're still earning less than the national average.

Cannock Forest is just one example of the woodland here that provides a rural retreat, along with Fairoak Valley, which is one of the more popular destinations for cyclists. Indeed, Cannock Chase is home to the Midlands' first dedicated mountain biking trail - at seven miles long, it's named 'Follow the Dog', although it's not immediately clear why - with another cross country trail soon to follow.

Established in 1962, the German Military Cemetery, a memorial to around 5,000 victims of war, is a tribute to post-war co-operation and visited by a number of German nationals each year who tend to the grave plots in collaboration with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The average house price in Cannock is 10 per cent up on that for 2006, at £169,000, although council tax in the area is comfortably above the national average by nearly £200 per year, regardless of which band the property falls into. Luckily, the rate of robberies falls below the national average, as does the rate of vehicle-related offences, although violent crime is higher than the national rate.

Perhaps due to its green status, the proportion of employees in tourism-related roles in Cannock is higher than the national average, standing at 9.4 per cent of the local workforce. Among that workforce though, the average gross weekly pay is £50 less than the national average for men, at £490.50 per week, and nearly £80 down on the average pay for women at £308.30. At least they have nice scenery to look at while they're working...

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Find out which unlucky borough slipped in at 15 >>

Local area info on Cannock Chase from upmystreet.com >>

Cannock Chase District Council >>

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