Gera Liveability Momentum Score — Methodology
The Gera Liveability Momentum Score (GLM, 0-100 delta) measures quarter-on-quarter change in the Gera Liveability Score (GLS) for 130 English local authorities, decomposed across five sub-score pillars. This page is published so any citation of the GLM can be reproduced from the underlying source datasets.
Current snapshot: · 130 local authorities · updated quarterly.
Data availability notice
Per-area Liveability Momentum scores will be published once a second quarterly GLS snapshot is on disk (expected: September 2026). The Gera Liveability Momentum Score is defined as GLS_Q_current − GLS_Q_prev; Gera does not estimate or interpolate this figure — only real measured deltas are published.
1. What the GLM measures
The GLM is a change indicator, not a point-in-time quality score. It answers "has liveability in this area improved or declined since last quarter?" rather than "how liveable is this area right now?" (that is the GLS).
- A positive GLM means the area's liveability improved.
- A negative GLM means it declined.
- A zero GLM means the composite was unchanged.
- Range: −100 to +100. Positive value = liveability improved. Negative value = liveability declined. Zero = unchanged.
2. Formula
Top-level:
GLM = GLS_Q_current − GLS_Q_prev
Sub-score delta decomposition (shows which pillar drove the change):
Δaffordability = affordability_Q_current − affordability_Q_prev Δsafety = safety_Q_current − safety_Q_prev Δschools = schools_Q_current − schools_Q_prev Δconnectivity = connectivity_Q_current − connectivity_Q_prev Δhealthcare = healthcare_Q_current − healthcare_Q_prev
Each GLS sub-score is already normalised 0-100 (see the GLS methodology); the delta therefore also ranges −100 to +100.
3. Pillar weights
The GLM inherits the same five pillars and weights as the GLS:
| Pillar | Weight in GLS | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | 0.3 | Average house price + Band D council tax (lower is better) |
| Safety | 0.2 | Recorded crime rate per 1,000 residents — Police Force Area (lower is better) |
| Schools | 0.2 | % state schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted (higher is better) |
| Connectivity | 0.15 | Gera Broadband Index from Ofcom connected-nations data (higher is better) |
| Healthcare | 0.15 | Gera GP Access Score — NHS ICB appointment-access data (higher is better) |
Weights sum to 1.0. Because both GLS snapshots use the same weights, the GLM delta is weight-consistent and directly comparable across areas.
4. Data sources
The GLM is derived from GLS snapshots. Each snapshot draws on six UK government open datasets, all published under the Open Government Licence v3.0:
- HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry, April 2026)
- MHCLG — Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2026-27)
- Ofcom — Connected Nations (Ofcom, July 2024)
- Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes (Ofsted, 31 May 2026)
- Home Office — Police recorded crime open data (Home Office, year ending December 2025)
- NHS England — Appointments in General Practice (NHS England, April 2026)
No additional data sources are used to compute the GLM; it is a pure temporal subtraction of two GLS values.
5. Coverage and exclusions
The GLM covers the same 130 single-tier English local authorities included in the GLS (unitary authorities, metropolitan districts and London boroughs). Two-tier county areas are excluded for the same reason as in the GLS: house-price and council-tax figures are published only at the lower-tier district level and cannot be joined 1:1 to upper-tier crime, schools and GP figures. See the GLS methodology for the full crosswalk details.
An area's GLM is published only when GLS values for both Q_current and Q_prev exist for that area. If an area was added or dropped between quarters, it is excluded from the delta table for that quarter rather than having a GLM imputed.
6. Worked example — Stoke-on-Trent (illustrative)
Note: Q_prev figures are not yet on disk. The values below for Q_prev are illustrative only — chosen to demonstrate how the formula is applied. Q_current figures (GLS 84.5/100, ) are real and trace to Stoke-on-Trent's liveability page.
| Pillar | Q_current (real, June 2026) | Q_prev (illustrative) | Δ (sub-score delta) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability | 72.2 | 71.0 | +1.2 |
| Safety | 96.0 | 95.5 | +0.5 |
| Schools | 88.1 | 87.5 | +0.6 |
| Connectivity | 79.5 | 79.0 | +0.5 |
| Healthcare | 94.0 | 93.5 | +0.5 |
| GLS composite | 84.5 | 83.1 | GLM = +1.4 |
Q_prev figures in this table are hypothetical and exist solely to illustrate the formula. When the September 2026 snapshot is generated, this worked example will be replaced with real measured figures.
GLM = GLS_Q_current − GLS_Q_prev
= 84.5 − 83.1
= +1.4 → liveability improved7. Freshness and re-computation schedule
- The GLS (and therefore the GLM) is re-computed each quarter as the underlying datasets refresh. Each page carries the as-of date and the last-computed date.
- The GLM is not smoothed, interpolated, or estimated between snapshots. Only real measured values are published.
- Crime and GP access are applied at Police Force Area / NHS ICB granularity — they describe the wider force or ICB, not individual LAs in isolation. Quarter-on-quarter changes in these pillars therefore reflect PFA/ICB-level changes, stated explicitly on each page.
- If an underlying source revises its historical figures (e.g. Land Registry house-price revisions), both the relevant GLS snapshot and the GLM for that quarter are recomputed and the revision noted.
8. Licence
All six source datasets are published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The GLM composite (the join, the delta computation, the decomposition) is original work by GeraRent, published openly for transparency and reproducibility. Users may freely cite the Gera Liveability Momentum Score with attribution.