Revealed: The UK’s Most Private Cities

With World Mental Health Day still fresh in our minds, it’s safe to say that the coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on our daily lives, especially when it comes to mental health. Routines have been disrupted, working from home has left people isolated, and the ability to go abroad to destress has been limited.

A recent article on the BBC highlighted the impact Covid-19 can have on mental health, with a study from the University of Glasgow warning that lockdowns may have “profound and long-lasting” effects.

The research found that suicidal thoughts increased from 8% to 10%, with the small increase still significant because of the short period of time it happened over.

Students who’ve been left to isolate in University halls of residence have spoken about the impact on their wellbeing, having started studies during one of the most unique year of their lives so far.

Figures also show that around one in 10 incidents attended by the London Amublance Service (LAS) during the pandemic involved mental health. From a total of 826,396 incidents between January and September, 81,644 were related to mental health.

Keith, a LAS paramedic, said: “It sometimes can feel quite shocking thinking about the sheer amount of mental health patients we are responding to, day in and day out.

June saw the highest rate of attended callouts, making up 12% of the total. The rising number of cases is currently being highlighted by BBC One documentary, Ambulance.

The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, has been a prominent figure when it comes to raising awareness around mental health struggles. And in a recent video call with business owners in Liverpool, he warned of a potential ‘mental health catastrophe’ due to the impact of lockdown restrictions.

So as Britons try to get to grips with new ways of living, leading LPG supplier Flogas has revealed the UK’s top Escapists’ Paradise - the perfect locations to focus on you (and your household) and get away from the stresses of everyday life.

Flogas has compiled the UK’s most private holiday spots by analysing reviews of 60 British cities to award them a ‘privacy’ rating. They explored the number of publicly owned CCTV cameras in each area, its population, how connected and accessible the area is, and which city the terms ‘secluded’ and ‘hidden’ were most frequently used on TripAdvisor.

After allocating an overall score out of 100, Gloucester came out on top, owing to its great combination of social privacy (100), and accessibility (97.9).

Mark Whittaker, General Manager – Consumer, at Flogas, said: “Taking a break from our day-to-day routine is something we all crave, but even when we manage weekend trips, how often can we truly switch off? With our Escapists’ Paradise data set, you can now explore some of our island’s most treasured and secluded spots to have the perfect staycation.

“It seems that the South West has the answers, with Gloucester and Salisbury ranking first and second, while the rural city of Hereford completes the top three.”

It will come as no surprise to see London at the wrong end of the charts with a score of 40 overall. A bustling population, high levels of CCTV, and social privacy score of just 63.2 means your private break might not be all that private.

The Welsh coastal city of St David’s had the least CCTV cameras of the cities analysed, with Preston (99.2) and Cardiff (98.3) offering the best social privacy behind Gloucester on 100.

Ely in Cambridgeshire was deemed the least connected city, warranting a score of 91.6.

For more information on Flogas, visit https://www.flogas.co.uk/