The Sell House research was based on findings which analysed noise complaints, artificial light exposure, vacant homes, sewage works and greenhouse gas emissions to score every local authority in England.
In their findings, they discovered that Bromley was ranked as London’s most peaceful area, coming in at number five on the list after South Gloucestershire.
Data revealed that the borough recorded just four noise complaints per 1,000 people in the past year, which was lower than most urban areas and one of the lowest figures in England.
Only 2.7 per cent of Bromley’s land registers at the brightest level of artificial light at night, meaning that residents experienced less light pollution at night.
But aside from its low light pollution, low greenhouse gas emissions and low noise complaints, Bromley is one of south east London’s greener boroughs, with parts of it that would have once belonged to the neighbouring county of Kent up until the second half of the 20th century.
Why Bromley deserves the title of one of the UK’s most peaceful places to live:
It has villages that were once part of Kent
Over the years, Bromley’s boundaries have altered, and today some of its villages, like Downe and Keston, were once part of Kent up until the mid-1960s.
Downe is known for its links to Bromley-based naturalist Charles Darwin, who lived in Down House and often visited the village’s local pubs for a drink.
But in 1965, under the Greater London Government Act, both of these villages became part of Bromley Borough, offering locals a rural setting to live whilst being within a short drive or bus journey of Bromley.
It has links to the Kent countryside by train
Bromley is one of the closest south-east London boroughs to the neighbouring county of Kent, offering convenient links to and from parts of Kent by train, from Bromley South station to villages like Eynsford and Otford, and seaside towns like Broadstairs and Whitstable.
Many of Kent’s stretches of coast, quaint villages and historic cities and towns can be reached within a 90-minute train ride from Bromley South, offering locals day trips out of London without having to catch a train from the capital.
It has a green belt
Bromley is also home to over 7,500 hectares of Green Belt, which makes up part of the wider Metropolitan Green Belt in Greater London.
In Bromley, more than half of the borough’s area is designated as Green Belt land, making the borough one of the greener boroughs in south London.
Its greenspaces and parks
Bromley is home to a number of large stretches of woodland, parks and greenspaces, with Scadbury Park, with its 300 acres of ancient woodland, and High Elms Country Park, which is known as a Special Area of Scientific Interest, being among some of the borough’s most popular.
