Oldham among worst places to live, says Northern Powerhouse Liveability Index

In the Northern Powerhouse Liveability Index, Oldham scored poorly when it comes to affordability, opportunity, desirability and availability

A report released yesterday has placed Oldham among the worst places to live in the whole of the north of England.

Oldham was ranked second worst in the north, behind only Bradford, while neighbouring Rochdale is ranked tenth worst.

That’s according to the Northern Powerhouse Liveability Index, commissioned by Your Housing Group, which ranked 72 local authorities in the north of England on affordable housing, the opportunities housing provides, jobs, wages that meet the local cost of living, and good school places.

South Lakeland, in Cumbria, came out top of the list for the whole of the north of England, followed by Fylde in Lancashire and Craven in North Yorkshire.

Oldham scored poorly when it comes to affordability, opportunity, desirability and availability, with all scores coming in at less than 100.

It all adds up to a ‘liveability’ score of 338 for Oldham, way below the average for the North of England of 400, while Rochdale managed a score of 372 for tenth place on the list, but it did beat places like Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester City Centre and Blackburn.

Tameside also came in below the average, scoring 390, but it also beat the likes of Sunderland, Barnsley and York.

The news will come as another blow for Oldham in particular, which was recently branded with having the most deprived area in the whole of the UK at Coldhurst.