The best and worst places for property affordability ...

Areas in the UK with an excellent air quality rating of over 80 were home to an average house price of just £185,808, according to OkayLah.co.uk.

The for sale by owner platform used data from Breezeometer’s live Air Quality Map and the Land Registry to look at how air pollution impacts house prices and where the cleanest, most affordable homes reside.

It found that, when it comes to air quality, the areas at the top of the table are also home to the lowest house prices.

The average house price began to climb as the quality of air deteriorated, with areas scoring between 70-79 (good/very good) being home to an average price of £208,997. A 60-69 score saw house prices increase to £224,823, while property in areas with an air quality score of 50-59 hit £287,385 on average. It cost £289,868 for the average home in areas with a score of 40-49.

The worst offending areas for air quality where scores ranged between 30-39 were home to the highest average house price of £375,157.

OkayLah.co.uk then looked at where across the UK was home to the best mix of affordable house prices and quality air by ranking each area on the house price cost for every air quality point scored.

It revealed the best place to get on the ladder for an affordable price with the least air pollution was North Lanarkshire. With an average house price of just £105,280 and a quality air score of 85, home buyers here are paying just £1,239 per quality air point in house prices.

North Ayrshire, Middlesbrough, East Ayrshire, North East Lincolnshire, Renfrewshire, Barnsley, Stoke, Redcar and Cleveland and Blackburn were also some of the most affordable options for a foot on the ladder with the least air pollution.

Unsurprisingly, London was home to the worst mix of property prices and air pollution, with a quality air score of just 38 and an average house price of £472,230 making the capital home to a cost of £12,427 in property for every point scored on the quality air scale.

Sevenoaks, St Albans, Elmbridge, Wokingham, Windsor, Epping Forest, Southend, Brighton and Waverley also made the top 10 for the UK’s worst homeowning options when considering air pollution.

Paul Telford, founder and chief executive officer of OkayLah.co.uk, commented: “A correlation between high house prices and air pollution is to be expected as higher demand for housing pushes up property values while also bringing more people, cars and other polluting factors to an area.”

“While the delivery of new properties remains vastly inadequate, it’s vital that we consider all aspects, including air pollution, when planning and constructing homes and how this resulting increase in the local population can impact the wider environment.”

He said that improving the wider area and local infrastructure can better accommodate the delivery of new homes without further compromising the quality of air.

“Of course, the great news is that for those who value the great outdoors and a cleaner environment, the cost of getting on the ladder in the UK’s best spots for air quality is much lower,” he concluded.