THE Maldon district has been named as one of the top 50 best places to live in Britain by an annual survey.

The Halifax Quality of Life survey measures a number of factors when compiling a list of the most desirable places in the country, and ranked Maldon as the 43rd best place to live.

Residents here typically enjoy a higher life expectancy than the national average, with men living a year longer and women half a year longer.

The weather also puts a smile on faces in the district.

Maldon receives the least rainfall of any of the places named in the top 50, and also enjoys the most sunshine, with 33.7 hours of rays per week.

Less crime, bigger houses, and more space adds up to being rated one of the top places to live in the country.

A survey of residents found that on average they were happier, had better life satisfaction and less anxiety than the national average.

People in the district scored their happiness at 7.9 out of 10.

It was a solid 8 out of 10 for life satisfaction, and just 2.8 out of 10 for their levels of anxiety.

The news came as no surprise to councillors in the area.

Mark Heard, Maldon district councillor and Maldon town councillor, said: “We always welcome positive news such as this.

“It highlights the fact that Maldon has so much to offer, not only on the social side but on a commercial level as well.

“We have our much loved independent and quirky High Street as well as bigger businesses that are moving into the area.

“It is no surprise to me that people want to come and live here.”

Burnham town councillor, Vanessa Bell agreed.

Miss Bell added: “Six years ago I decided to move out of London and so I stuck a pin in a map, visited various villages and small towns, arrived in Burnham and it was love at first sight.

“A combination of beautiful countryside, quaint historical buildings, the river and its associated activities all played a part in me moving here, as did the fantastic sense of community.

“Also, as a biker, the famous Burnham Bends were a particularly attraction for me.

“The best thing about Burnham for me though is the sunsets, which have to be some of the best in the world.”

In the same survey last year, Maldon was ranked 36th.

Uttlesford came out as the best area in the region to live.

They topped the East of England leaderboard, and took 11th place on the national leaderboard, moving from 35th last year.

Meanwhile Chelmsford also scored higher than Maldon, leapfrogging it into 38th place, up from 54th.