Worst places to live in UK ranked as 'draining' city tops the poll - see list

03 January 2023 , 09:55

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Peterborough leads the way despite its 'stunning' cathedral (Image: Getty Images)

A controversial poll has sprung up once again with people voting on the worst place to live in the UK.

The vote run by the iLiveHere website allows internet users to vote for their town and choose the area they believe is the worst in the entire country.

Peterborough, home to over 179,000 people, currently leads the way with 18.54 of the vote, far ahead of Liverpool on 6.37 per cent and Henley-on-Thames on 5.99 per cent.

London's Kensington and Chelsea borough is next up at 5.34 per cent.

The Cambridgeshire city, meanwhile, is no stranger to topping the poll on the satirical website, winning the unwanted crown three years in a row before 2022.

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Last year, the cathedral city finished behind Liverpool, Luton, Huddersfield and the eventual winner of Aylesbury, which won by over 25 per cent.

Despite plenty of rave reviews on Tripadvisor, others are not so enthusiastic about the cathedral city (Getty Images)

This year, the current results are:

1. Peterborough - 18.54 per cent
2. Liverpool - 6.37 per cent
3. Henley-on-Thames - 5.99 per cent
4. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - 5.24 per cent
5. Canterbury - 3.37 per cent
6. Elmington - 3.18 per cent
7. Torquay - 2.43 per cent
8. Slough - 2.25 per cent
9. Luton - 2.06%
10. Huddersfield - 1.87%

Some may be surprised by the areas included. Liverpool, for example, boasted world heritage status until only recently.

Kensington and Chelsea has areas of significant deprivation but is known as one of London's most expensive areas to live.

Even Liverpool and its vibrant docks area made the somewhat negative list (Getty Images)

In 2022, one resident said of this year's poll leader: "The atmosphere in Peterborough is draining. You feel totally isolated from the rest of the world and life in general, as though everything else is going on and you’re not part of it."

According to data site Plumplot, violent crime in the postcode increased "by 9.3% when compared year-over-year in the period of December 2021 [to] November 2022."

Despite the criticisms, Peterborough enjoys plenty of heartwarming charm, according to reviews by visitors on sites like Tripadvisor.

Much of the positivity is centred around the present-day cathedral, first begun under Norman rule in 1118 and home to the resting place of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife.

Henley-On-Thames is included (Getty Images/EyeEm)

One reviewer said: "The people of Peterborough should be so so proud of that cathedral it’s absolutely stunning."

Another added: "Have to see for yourself, words don't even start to describe the beauty and atmosphere of the cathedral."

Plenty of residents are also optimistic about the city that CambridgeshireLive describes as a "diverse, multicultural melting pot of people and an array of cultural centres."

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London's Kensington and Chelsea also made the list (Getty Images)

In a vote for levels of life satisfaction by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for 2020 to 2021, Peterborough was voted as the happiest place to live in Cambridgeshire.

Not everything on the satirical website is all doom and gloom and instead of the 'c**p town' award, Brits can also vote for the place they think is the best to live.

Benjamin Lynch