Bexhill has the best quality of life for pensioners across UK, says study

The life insurance team at Compare the Market said it researched the 40 most populated coastal towns in England and Wales, ranking them by the percentage of the population that is 65 and above and the area’s quality of life score.

A spokesperson from the study said: "Bexhill offers the greatest quality of life for pensioners, with a score of 70, and also has a higher percentage of the population aged over 65 than anywhere else (34.5 per cent).”

However, the town’s chamber of commerce, which represents businesses in Bexhill, said the research ‘fed a negative perception’ that Bexhill was a town ‘just full of old people’ when in reality it was seeing a ‘growing number of young families’.

Howard Martin, president of Bexhill Chamber of Commerce, said: "While reports like this are very welcome in creating a positive view of our town unfortunately they also feed into a negative perception of Bexhill as being a town that is just full of old people, rather than one of very active empty nesters and a growing number of young families attracted by the availability of good quality housing at reasonable prices compared to the rest of the South East.

"These type of single purpose reports (selling insurance) are also used by politicians to scapegoat the very real problems of under investment in Bexhill and the severe deprivation of our town centre."

In the research Bognor Regis featured fifth on the list, Littlehampton was seventh and Eastbourne ranked as ninth.

Life insurance expert Anna McEntee said: “Retirement is an exciting time to start a new chapter, and escaping to the perfect seaside town can make all the difference. After spending the majority of our adult lives working hard, most of us dedicate our later years to getting some much-needed rest and relaxation – which is why retiring by the coast is such an attractive option.”