'Living in the East Midlands isn't all bad'
Prominent county figures have criticised the latest survey which indicates almost three-quarters of people in the East Midlands would like to move away if their work became sufficiently flexible to permit it.
A poll of office workers suggests 70 per cent of people living in the region would move if the Government's promise of universal broadband access in the next few years allowed them to work from home – with the majority choosing to move to the south-west of England, Scotland or London.
But local figures have hit back, saying the area is not that bad.
Paul Griffiths, chief executive of the Northamptonshire Chamber, dismissed the figure. He said: "I moved here from north Wales seven years ago and I'm still here. I think it's a fantastic place.
"I know a lot of people who work from home and they don't go down south to do it so I don't think we would see a mass exodus if the level of broadband coverage improved."
MP for Northamptonshire South Brian Binley, who was born in Finedon, near Wellingborough, said: "When push comes to shove, how many people would honestly want to work from home, particularly when they can be easily distracted?
"The south-west is a lovely part of the country; I spent 20 years living there but in the end I came back to my roots. I'm proud to be a Northamptonshire man. We are blessed with wonderful market towns and lovely villages. Northampton is one of the few towns which has a first-class cricket, football and rugby team as well as a history going back thousands of years."
Councillor Tony Clarke (Ind, Castle) was born in Northampton and has lived in the town the majority of his life. He said: "People always have this dream of moving or retiring to the coast but the reality is Northamptonshire has continued to provide levels of employment way above its neighbouring counties for some time. At the moment, we are going through a dip in terms of the local economy but things are comparatively less bad here than they are elsewhere.
"When times are hard it's tempting to think of jumping ship. The option of living at the coast could be quite an attractive one but a place is what you make of it."
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