Boscombe no longer on list of worst places to live

Last year, Boscombe was voted among the top 50 worst places to live in England, according to a poll conducted by ILiveHere.com.

Then, the former spa town was ranked 33rd and was the only Dorset town to feature in the table.

However, voters have seen sense and thankfully, this year, Boscombe didn't make the list.

Read more: Boscombe among top 50 worst places to live in England

Reacting to the news, councillor Andy Jones said: "I think the regeneration of the town has given the whole area a lift. I think it's fair to say there's lots of positivity around now.

"People are really pleased to see that there's a focus on Boscombe and there's a plan for Boscombe moving forward, in the long term.

"The police have targeted a lot of resources as have the council into dealing with crime in the area. So I think that has really given the town a lift and makes people much more positive about coming to Boscombe.

Boscombe shopping precinct

"Some things need improving that goes without saying but we are a very tight knit community, people are very positive about the area and they enjoy all that it has to offer, particularly the different local businesses."

Owner of Boscombe seafront-based restaurant, Urban Reef, Mark Cribb said: "I've lived here for about 17 years and I think it's an incredible place. I consider myself very lucky.

"When I started in Boscombe 16 years ago, I was very conscious that we had the same beach and the same views, pretty much as Sandbanks, which was the third, most expensive place to live at the time in the United Kingdom.

Read more: Why Boscombe is a great place to live and work

"It was beyond my comprehension how you can have somewhere only a few miles along the coast that was considered to be one of the worst.

"I think that Boscombe has got a real community, nice people live here.

"Boscombe seafront is where the locals go. It's where you've got the RNLI surf training for the country, you've got the paddle boarding and the volleyball court.

Boscombe Pier. Photo by David Burrows

"It's as close to California in the UK as you can get and it’s full of locals. Given the choice between having a restaurant on Bournemouth beach or Boscombe beach, I would take Boscombe beach every single day of my life.

"I think if anybody doesn't like Boscombe, that's perfect. You know, you stay living where you're living.

"It’s probably Bournemouth's best kept secret, everybody that knows, knows, it's lovely.

"They can carry on criticising us, it’s really not a problem because it means that we can all afford to live here a little bit longer."