The UK's 'most boring town' that's a 'place of nightmares' - yet locals love living here

Residents have rushed to defend a town which is often described as "a place of nightmares". Stevenage has long held the reputation of being somewhat dull, dreary and a commuter-only town, due to its location just 20 minutes away from London.

Recently, the Hertfordshire town featured at the top of a The Telegraph list ranking of the UK's "most boring towns", despite its hidden history and unique features. There is no denying that although the town is surrounded by leafy countryside, Stevenage is not exactly the most attractive town in the country. However, did it really deserve such a harsh title? Stevenage locals think not. While they appreciate their town has its fair share of problems, they said they are happy with their way of life, with the Old Town in particular offering a "vibrant night-time economy", something many towns and cities are lacking, with clubbing seemingly dying.

Resident Adam Fisher told The Express that, in fact, "he wouldn't live anywhere else".

Adam said: "I'm not entirely surprised that Stevenage has been given this more than harsh title, it may seem a bit dull but it is my home and I love it.

"I've often heard Stevenage be called the 'place of nightmares', and although it may seem devoid of character, there is a lot going for the area.

"I can get to London in under half an hour, the Old Town is full of great restaurants and shops, plus house prices are a fraction of what you would get in a London borough.

"Sure, there may be prettier places to live, but the town is full of great people and has large outdoor spaces. I wouldn't live anywhere else."

House prices in Stevenage have an overall average of £357,533 over the last year, according to Rightmove. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £409,806, with flats fetching £181,755. In comparison the average price for a semi-detached house in London was approximately £773,552.

Plans to build 900 homes on the outskirts of the town have been given outline permission, with about 40% of the housing on site deemed affordable.

Councillor Philip Bibby says he doesn't think Stevenage "deserves this title".

He said: "Stevenage is well located, offering excellent communications to London, air, road and rail travel, and sea travel to a lesser extent.

"As an example, I can be in the West End in approximately 1 hour by public transport. The New Town and Neighbourhood Centres are not particularly nice environments, although steps are being taken to regenerate them, but the Old Town offers a vibrant night-time economy with some al fresco drinking and dining.

"There are retail parks for shopping, a leisure park, and a large outdoor recreation area with a lake, all with free parking.

"Sport and the arts are well catered for, and there was recently an Old Town Live music festival. Walkers and cyclists enjoy 45kms of cycleways."

He says some of the town's highlights include "communications, the arts, night-time economy, sport and leisure facilities, diverse shopping areas, and pedestrian and cycle-friendly - some subways have been made more welcoming by local artists".

He adds that "the local football team has recently been promoted to League One".

However, Cllr Bibby acknowledges that the "New Town and Neighbourhood Centres are in need of regeneration, many of the original housing estates and flat blocks are tired and unwelcoming"

He continues: "Traffic and parking is an increasing problem with the many new houses and flat blocks (the latter being in danger of becoming ghettos). An historic area of farmland has been lost to new houses.

"The railway station is long overdue for an upgrade, and this would complement the new bus interchange in improving the Stevenage Gateway.

"Anti-social behaviour is also an issue. This should be tackled more robustly."

But there are positives as the New Town and Neighbourhood centres are being regenerated, although Cllr Bibby says progress on this is slow.

Lucy Walsh also agrees that the anti-social behaviour is a constant problem - but she believes there is "nothing boring about her town".

She said: "Antisocial behaviour has definitely got worse in recent years, which is concerning, but this is unfortunately a problem for many areas across the UK. We need hardline measures so people know they cannot get away with such petty crimes.

"I don't see how Stevenage can be branded as boring. We have a vibrant nighttime economy, bustling retail areas, and the base of major international companies like Airbus, GSK, and MBDA.

"Stevenage was also the birthplace of the Vincent motorcycle and produced iconic bikes such as the Vincent Rapide and the Vincent Black Shadow

"It's even home to the gorgeous parish church of St Andrew and St George."