Live in Braintree District

An attractive place to live

The traditional market towns of Braintree and Halstead, together with the old spa town of Witham sit within our district and within the rolling countryside of North Essex. Alongside these three market towns are 52 villages, including six larger villages.

Our district is a great place to work and live due to its accessible location, rural surroundings, thriving business communities, good schools and competitively priced homes.

There are plenty of places to visit and things to do outside of work which makes it a great destination for families.

Why you should live in Braintree District

Quality of life

Our rural surroundings, history and heritage, successful business communities and ambitious growth plans make our district a great place to live and work.

There is something for everyone – from bustling market towns and picturesque villages to castles, heritage sites, museums, historic pubs and wineries.
Good schools

There are a wealth of good schools to choose from and plenty of things to do to entertain children - from activity centres to parks and cinemas to bowling alleys.

A population of 153,000 is supported by 52 primary schools and 8 secondary schools. With 89% of schools rated as outstanding or good, children and adolescents are offered the best educational start in life.
Competitive house prices

With more people working two or three days from home, employees are willing to give up a more expensive postcode in London, for additional space and lower mortgage costs.

Property prices are competitive compared to London and the other regional growth centres nearby. There are properties to suit every budget with average house prices around 21% lower than in Chelmsford and 36% lower than in Cambridge.

Fortunately, access to London and other regional towns are still within easy reach when needed.
Good transport links

Our A-roads provide easy access to the M11 and Cambridge, Stansted Airport and the regional growth centres of Colchester and Chelmsford. The A120 also connects us to the Freeport at Felixstowe and Harwich.

Getting to London is easy from the railway stations at Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Witham and Braintree. From Witham, commuters can be in the centre of London in as little as 45 minutes.

View our connections
Superfast broadband

94% of addresses currently have access to superfast and ultrafast broadband. That’s 22,750 addresses with access to superfast broadband speeds up to 30Mbps and of these, nearly 3,000 with access to gigabit-capable speeds up to 1,000Mbps.

Work to reach more addresses is continuing, and in the next three years, we expect that we will have more than 99% broadband coverage.

View the Superfast map