BROADSTONE has been named as one of the top three nicest places to live in the whole of England.

Nevermind Sandbanks’ Millionaires Row or London’s plush Mayfair, the understated Poole district scored impressively in a study carried out by expert economists.

This study, which identified the best post code areas to live, considered issues such as work-life balance, quality of schools and open spaces.

Top spot went to the small town of Bebington in the Wirral, five miles from Liverpool. The NR6 postcode area of Norwich pipped Broadstone’s BH18 to the runners-up position.

Broadstone ward councillor Mike Brooke said: “It is great news and I am delighted. Broadstone is a nice place and that is one reason why we are producing the neighbourhood plan, to protect the best of what we’ve got.

“We have lots of nice places to live, lots of good quality areas - and we need to protect those.

“We are producing policies that will manage and control any development that could take place.”

The study was carried out by the Royal Mail and Centre for Economic and Business Research.

Areas of particular interest in Broadstone include the recreation ground, the cemetery - which boasts a unique memorial to naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace - and Dunyeats Hill Nature Reserve.

Local resident Margaret Williams told the Daily Echo: “I’m not surprised, this is a great place to live. We’ve been here 20 years and although there has obviously been many changes, the feel of the place is remarkably the same.”

Meanwhile, shopper Martin Abbott said: “Great news, I like the atmosphere along the main street here - lots of lovely little shops.

“I’m not surprised the area is well rated, especially with the great schools nearby. People like living here because you feel part of a smaller community, but close enough to a larger town and all the benefits that brings. It really is a smashing place.”

Broadstone is close to Parkstone Grammar, Poole Grammar and Corfe Hills School.

The study looked at the last two years and calculated the most desirable areas based on a range of factors.

Sources including the 2011 Census, the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Indices of Multiple Deprivation, General Land Use database and Office for National Statistics releases all helped determine the best postcodes in the country.