An area of Chorleywood is now not only the happiest place in which to live, but is also ranked the least deprived area in the whole country.

In 2004 a study by The Social Disadvantage Research Centre at the University of Oxford named Chorleywood as the “happiest place” to live in the UK.

The west end of the town impressed researchers with high employment, low crime and large number of adults with university degrees.

Now, a study by the Department for Communities and Local Government has ranked the town's north west neighbourhood as the least deprived area in the country.

Annette Naughton, from Chorleywood Residents Association, said: “It was a lovely surprise and I am sure that the residents of Chorleywood will be delighted with the results.

“I think it's great news that Chorleywood is still a great place to live, as the UK is a big place and there is a lot of choice.”

More than 32,500 areas in the country were assessed by factors including health, disability, education, living standards and crime.

Both the most and least deprived areas were found in the East of England region, with the Brooklands estate in Jaywick, a suburb of Clacton, named the country's poorest area.

The study took in 38 criteria from The English Indices of Deprivation 2010.

Factors such as the number of income support families, proportion of adults under 60 suffering from mood or anxiety disorders, and road distance to a GP surgery were taken into consideration.

The grass isn't always greener...

  • On January 13 the Watford Observer revealed how the waiting list for an allotment in Chorleywood previously stood at 32 people waiting for a coveted spot in one of the council’s three sites.
  • On January 27 a Chorleywood road sign, printed with the wrong street name on it, had to be replaced by Three Rivers District Council.

    The sign, in Whitelands Avenue, directs pedestrians and motorists to Blacketts Wood Drive, Brushwood Drive, and “Carpenters Wood Avenue”.

    In fact, the sign, costing about £100, should have read “Carpenters Wood Drive.”

  • On February 1 customers of Nationwide were “devastated” by its closure, leaving only one bank and no building societies in the town.

    Kathy Walton, of Orchard Drive, said “I'm outraged, everyone is devastated. The heart is being ripped out of Chorleywood, this is just another service which is being denied to us.”

  • On February 23 Kathy Hurst, of Highfield Way, said she could no longer stand the amount of dog poo on Chorleywood Common.

    She said: “We have to do something about the horrific situation now present on Chorleywood Common. Dog poo is litter. It cannot be allowed to continue.”