Take that, John Betjeman: Slough named best UK town to live and work in, proving The Office's David Brent knows best

Slough has topped jobs site Glassdoor's list for employee satisfaction and cost of living, and is set to benefit from fast Crossrail links to London when it opens in 2019.
1/8
Jess Denham25 September 2017

The Office's David Brent is set to become even more insufferable after his home town of Slough was named the best place in the country to live and work in.

Ricky Gervais' cringeworthy TV boss loved to remind his colleagues how "brilliant, fact" it was to work with him in Slough, despite many considering the industrial Berkshire town grey and dreary. He loved it so much, he even wrote a song about it (below).

Now Slough has topped jobs site Glassdoor's list for employee satisfaction, jobs and cost of living, he can't be mocked for his delusions anymore.

Glassdoor says its study shows that Slough — derided as a "mess" by former poet laureate John Betjeman in his 1937 poem Slough — has emerged as a "prime spot" as London becomes too expensive for many.

Did you know?

  • Slough will be on Crossrail when it opens in 2019
  • Slough town centre is undergoing a £1 billion regeneration project
  • There are 42 parks and open spaces in Slough
  • Slough has one of the UK's most ethnically diverse populations
  • The Mars factory is located in Slough and produces 2.5million bars every day
  • Burger King, LEGO, Amazon, Nintendo, McAfee and Blackberry also have head offices in Slough
  • The name Slough means 'soil'

The average house price is £390,000 — nearly £100,000 less than the London average — with over 26,000 job vacancies and an average salary of £35,000.

Dr Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor, credited the large multinational businesses establishing themselves in Slough, the high average salary and the town's close proximity to major transport hubs such as Heathrow Airport as the major reasons behind its unexpected triumph.

"Although people in London are generally satisfied, it has proven not only to be an expensive place to live but also a ultra-competitive city in which to find a job," he said.

"The UK's M4 corridor remains Britain's global tech backbone, with companies such as Oracle, Cisco and Microsoft all along this route. Towns and cities around this area offer pleasant environments, above average salaries and a lower cost of living, meaning an increased quality of life for employees."

Luke Kent, sales manager at Glenn Flegg estate agents, has seen a "significant increase" in people moving out of west London to Langley, a large village two miles east of central Slough.

"From speaking to people on a daily basis this is not only because there are a lot of jobs in Slough with the trading estate housing quite a few blue chip companies, but also for the three Ofsted-rated outstanding grammar schools here," he said.

"With the addition of Crossrail coming to Slough central and Langley train station as well as Burnham and Maidenhead the area is booming and I see another significant increase of house prices once Crossrail is active in these areas."

Manchester was the second most desirable place to live and work in, with an average house price of just £177,200 and salary of £24,000.

Cambridge came in third, with an average house price of £455,000 and salary of £31,200, followed by Swindon, Stoke-on-Trent, Reading, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Bolton and Oxford.

London does not feature in the top 25.

TOP 10 TOWNS TO LIVE AND WORK IN

Town Average house price Average salary
Slough £390,000 £35,000
Manchester £177,200 £24,000
Cambridge £455,000 £31,200
Swindon £248,000 £31,000
Stoke-on-Trent £143,000 £21,000
Reading £422,000 £35,000
Leeds £206,000 £24,000
Milton Keynes £301,000 £28,000
Bolton £159,000 £21,000
Oxford £489,000 £30,000

Source: Glassdoor