What you need to know about Bromley
The largest borough by area and the southeasternmost borough of the city, Bromley is just 12 miles from central London and offers a range of restaurants and shops, outstanding Ofsted rated schools, good-sized houses and beautiful parks and open spaces. The majority of the 59 square miles of the region is Metropolitan Green Belt, including almost all of the land south of the A232-A21 route between West Wickham and Pratts Bottom, which reflects in its population density which is the lowest of the 32 London boroughs. About 30% of the land in Bromley in 2001 was farmland, according to Capital Growth, the highest percentage in London. Lewisham and Greenwich lie beyond the borders to the north of the ward, while Southwark and Lambeth share borders to the north-west, Bexley to the north-east and Croydon to the west. The region also borders the Tandridge District of Surrey to the south-west and the Sevenoaks District of Kent to the east and south.
Named after an Anglo Saxon word that means “the place where broom grows”, Bromley has been home to some illustrious personalities, such as David Bowie, Charles Darwin and HG Wells. Most of the population live in the north and west of the borough, which is the very much of the part of the built-up area of suburban London, while Hayes and West Wickham are the two principal built-up areas in the southern part of the region.
Bromley is one of the six London boroughs which does not have at least one Underground station within its boundaries, however, there are many overground stations and bus lines in the area. Most Bromley residents get to Central London by car or rely on regular trains to London Victoria from Bromley South station. The region is not included in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and it has good air quality with a low air pollution.
Is it safe to live in Bromley?
Bromley is the safest borough in South East London and one of the safest places to live in the city, with a very low crime rate compared to other regions. There are approximately 137 primary schools and 56 secondary schools in the region, of which 43 are rated as outstanding by Ofsted. Bridgeways Day Hospital, BMI The Sloane Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital are some of the main hospitals in the area.
Beckenham, Hayes and Biggin Hill are the most common places in which people look to rent a flat, while Orpington, Chislehurst and Bromley are the most in-demand places for house buyers. The average private rent is £1,225, according to the 2018/19 Private Rental Market summary statistics, and the average house price is £436,040, according to the 2019 House Price Index. Houses in Bromley are 37.53% owned outright, 33.34% owned with a mortgage or loan, 15.43% private rent and 13.7% are social housing, according to the Office of National Statistics. With a population of 331,096 and 2.38 people per dwelling, the region has seen a growth in housing stock of 4.4% from 2008 to 2018, with 19,020 affordable homes. If you would like to rent a house in Bromley, it is estimated that you will need a total annual income of £36,750, according to the rent affordability formula.