Good cheap place to live sw with job opportunities and good transposition links

[Mindyoursoul]

I live in a lovely part of the U.K. southwest in a naice very small town (moved from a big city 10 years ago)

However the opportunities here are dire. I’m trying to find better job offers but there is nothing around me! Apart from a load of care homes, salaries are very low and no big employers nearby (bar the nhs which is linked to job I do currently and pay is awful) Public transport is practically non existent here and I don’t want to have to drive hours to get anywhere!

where would you live if you were me?
I’m hoping to get a job in the civil service but there aren’t any bases anywhere commutable to me currently.

I feel so stuck here, I moved with my now exh and have a new partner now but I’ve never felt at home here. It’s so “local” and residents are either snobs with second houses or locals who will never leave and have no desire to learn about the world outside of here. There’s nothing going on in the town either it’s mainly over 60’s. I miss the vibrancy and culture of my home city but I couldn’t possibly afford to live there now.

I’m in a poorly paid admin job but it’s convenient for childcare and I do work with some nice people so I don’t hate it but the amount of work I do for the pay is immensely disproportionate. I so scared if I don’t change things soon this will be my life forever.

I need to stay fairly nearby as kids need to stay with the dad too. So I’m thinking Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire
any suggestions?

I mean not necs to live - it’s expensive, but it will give you the best salary - live somewhere like Chippenham with a train line in.

I would draw a line from your ex place and to Bristol and then look at villages and towns in and around there. Bristol will be great for work/culture/meeting people.

Dorset is notorious for poor transport links. There is a reason why motorways always bypassed it.

Or Nailsea area? Trains into Bristol, and close to the sea

Warminster or Westbury? Good train links (especially westbury), close to Trowbridge for the DCs dad and loads of admin roles in Warminster in the MOD.

Also cheaper to buy there than Frome/BOA/Bath or Salisbury but easily commutable to all.

Somewhere commutable to Salisbury/surrounding area would be good, lots of jobs around. Warminster and Westbury are good options.

Would you consider jobs in Southampton or would that be too far?

my sister lives in chippenham not too far from bath bristol or swindon

There's lots of talk about levelling up the north, but don't worry, little sign of it happening any time soon.

If they really wanted to make a difference, they'd scrap HS2 and spend the money on a high speed train line from Liverpool to Hull.

Or they could finally get their fingers out and give West Yorkshire (which is the largest urban area in western Europe without one) a mass transit system.

But I agree about low wages and high house prices in the SW being a particular problem.

OP, if Salisbury is any good to you, there's 300 vacancies advertised on Civil Service Jobs. pay isn't great in most roles though

Met Office is in Exeter and offers hybrid working. Currently wfh 4 days a week and 1 in the office.

Good to know re the only one day a week in office @ToddlerTerror I wonder if everyone can ask for that from the start of employment? As it would probably cost me £20 a day to commute!

I’ll have the look re Salisbury I could get there if it was also only one day a week.

Yes, as far as I am aware, it is from the start date.