The industrial town that's on the rise and on list of UK's best places to live
This town may not be top of your list of places to visit or to move to, but maybe it should be...
A town in one of northern England’s former industrial heartlands has been named one of the country’s most “fabulous” places to live.
Stockport was listed by The Sunday Times as “one of the most exciting towns around”, lauding its low house prices and excellent public transport connections.
Assessors also noted the “joyous collection of funky independent businesses” in the north-western town.
The news comes as Stockport’s brand new £120 million bus interchange is set to open.
The publication dubbed the town as being “in the throes of a mighty metamorphosis”.
Stockport took top prize in the north west category in the annual Best Places to Live guide. Experts considered factors including schooling, broadband speeds, nearby green space and the condition of the high street.
The town’s revival has been driven by independent businesses, coupled with its vibrant food and drink scene.
Local vendor Karen Bickley, who owns an independent gift shop, told BBC Radio Manchester that Stockport had “survived the pandemic and was on the up”.
Don't miss...
London area named as one of the ‘most depressing’ towns in the UK [REVEAL]
Captivating European road trip route has beaches and pretty towns [REVEAL]
‘Hell-hole’ UK seaside town to get £20m to ‘drag it out of the 1970s’ [REVEAL]
Her shop on Market Place was one of a slate of “thriving independent businesses” giving people “more reason” to visit and even move to the town, she said.
She told the station: “I've lived in Stockport all my life and I love it”.
In a major new housing development, 3,000 homes in a new development close to the River Mersey are well under way. According to Rightmove, over the last year the average price of a property was £283,205.
However, the majority of the homes sold were semi-detached and went for an average of £305,680, according to the online estate agent.
Terraced homes went for less - an average of £224,857 - but unsurprisingly detached properties went for a much loftier £481,3882.