Picturesque Harrogate has been named the best place to work from home in the UK – with York and Darlington close behind.
Known for its charming parks and shops, the Victorian spa town also boasts a more modern attraction in the form of superfast 60Mbps broadband, making it ideal for remote working.
Its position was also influenced by other factors including average property prices, low burglary rates, clean air, green spaces, and positive Ofsted ratings, according to Uswitch’s remote working index.
York was named the eighth best place to work from home – with Darlington finishing in a reputable 20th position.
Also, in the Top 100 rankings were: South Tyneside (33); Hartlepool (34); Newcastle (55), Middlesbrough (64) and Sunderland (83).
Generally, the North fared well – especially smaller towns and cities, compared with some of the country’s largest urban sprawls such as Birmingham (82), London (88) and Manchester (100).
Mike Odysseas, managing director of Stockton-based Odyssey Systems, said: “It’s no surprise that so many places in the North East and North Yorkshire appear in this index.
“When you combine the benefits of high broadband speeds with living in such a great part of the world, why wouldn’t you want to work from home if possible?”
As much as 98 percent of the UK already has access to superfast broadband and solutions are available to improve speeds in rural areas.
Mike added: “Business can really benefit and it’s worth noting problems are often blamed on poor broadband speeds when it’s actually down to poor equipment, deficient cabling, the wrong supplier or an unsatisfactory set up.
“Odyssey Systems has spent many years extolling the benefits of home working but unfortunately it has taken this pandemic to prove that the technology works and is able to offer businesses and employees alike greater flexibility and cost savings.
“Increased acceptance of teleconferencing and teleworking also gives this region’s businesses a competitive edge over their counterparts in London and the South East, where operating costs are higher.”