A new business survey by Barclays has revealed the most popular areas for small accountancy practices, and those expecting to hear about locations such as the City or Canary Wharf are in for something of a surprise. According to one of Britain’s biggest banks, the most popular locations for “high street accountants” are Camden, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Merton.

The survey included only businesses with a turnover of under £1 million, and at AccountingWeb’s request, Barclays kindly supplied its full listings for the profession. The 15 areas of the UK with the highest concentration of small accounting firms, and possibly where the accounting market may be at its most competitive, are as follows (the percentage represents an area index compared to the national average):

Camden 336%
Hammersmith & Fulham 255%
Merton 226%
Wandsworth 214%
Kingston & Surbiton 207%
Harrow 196%
Exeter 178%
Bury St Edmunds 176%
Ealing 173%
Southend-On-Sea 172%
Wolverhampton 170%
Watford 169%
Barnet 167%
Colchester 167%
Leeds 165%

John Davis, marketing director of Barclays Local Business, praised the contribution all small businesses made to the national economy.

“These businesses are responsible for in excess of 50 per cent of the UK’s GDP and without them the country would just grind to a halt,” he said.