Town Pop. 97

Living in Fordstreet: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Fordstreet scores 40/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Healthcare falls furthest short: 3/100 where the typical UK town reaches 18/100. Fordstreet places 16th of 18 in the CO6 postcode district.

Fordstreet is a place of extremes: 94/100 for safety against 3/100 for healthcare, a 91-point spread wider than roughly nine in ten UK towns. Against the wider CO6 district average of 48/100, that is 8 points below. On economic health specifically, Fordstreet sits 10 points above the CO6 district figure of 67/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: CO6 postcode district.

40
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Fordstreet scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Fordstreet.
Or compare:
CO6 1AA CO6 2AA CO6 3AA CO6 4AA CO6 5AA CO6

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
94
835.1 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 31 crimes
↑ 860% above national average
Other theft 13 crimes
↑ 2061% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 10 crimes
↑ 1416% above national average
Burglary 10 crimes
↑ 2846% above national average
Public order 6 crimes
↑ 852% above national average
other 11 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Fordham Road 5 crimes
  2. 2 Holt'S Road 5 crimes
  3. 3 Plummers Road 5 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
53
Air Quality NO₂ 6.763 · PM2.5 6.897 · PM10 12.244 µg/m³
72
Green Space 10
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
9
1 school in area · 5 within 4km
1Inadequate
  • Fordham All Saints CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Inadequate

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital4.6 mi
Broomfield Hospital16.3 mi
Ipswich Hospital20.1 mi
Hospital waitsEast Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust4.4 mi
Routine referral (median)12 wks
Treated within 18 weeks60.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs76.7%
Nearest GP surgeryDr Abiodun Obisesan2.9 mi
GP capacity2,727 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
61
Full fibre (FTTP)62.6%
available across Colchester
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
95%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
95%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
95%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 5 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
77
Employment rate56.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.2%Unemployed2.5%Retired27.9%Student3.4%Other inactive10%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial44.1%Skilled & technical37%Routine & elementary18.9%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications16.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)18.1%Level 4+ (degree & above)33.9%Apprenticeship4.7%Other (incl. vocational)2.5%
Home ownership79.5%
Among the least-deprived 40% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
56
Council tax Colchester · 2026-27
A £1,522
B £1,776
C £2,029
D £2,283
E £2,790
F £3,298
G £3,805
H £4,566
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band E
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
12
Chappel and Wakes Colne 1.7 mi
Marks Tey 1.9 mi
Bures 4.4 mi
J8 M11 25.2 mi
J8A M11 25.4 mi
J8 M11 25.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
8
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping Some 2
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Fordstreet in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Eight Ash Green 47 1.4 mi away ⇄
Chappel 43 1.6 mi away ⇄
Fordham (Colchester) 42 1.7 mi away ⇄
Great Tey 45 1.8 mi away ⇄
Copford 37 2.0 mi away ⇄
Marks Tey 44 2.6 mi away ⇄
West Bergholt 48 2.7 mi away ⇄
White Colne 45 3.3 mi away ⇄
Heckfordbridge 51 3.7 mi away ⇄
Great Horkesley 52 4.0 mi away ⇄
Earls Colne 48 4.1 mi away ⇄
Bures 35 4.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Fordstreet a nice place to live?

Fordstreet has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Fordstreet is 40/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Fordstreet?

Fordstreet is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 94/100. There were 81 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Fordstreet in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Fordstreet

CO6 48 ⇄

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