Two Greater Manchester towns have been named among the “most desirable” places to live in Britain, according to a new ranking.
There’s no doubt the property market in our region has been booming over the last decade or so, with average house prices seeming to rise year-on-year, and more and more areas becoming viewed as the places to live.
You may remember that earlier on this year, two unexpected Greater Manchester areas were named ‘property hotspots’ for 2023 by Rightmove based on last year’s data, while only a couple of months back, neighbourhoods such as Bramhall, Broadheath, and Bowdon were identified as being the places where houses prices were shooting up the most.
Trafford has always been one of the most affluent and sought-after areas to live in Greater Manchester, but now it seems that it’s not just within the region that the borough is proving popular, as it also appears to be a heavy-hitter nationwide too.
Well, that’s if a new list of the best places to live in Britain by Savills is anything to go by.
Using the latest data from the most recent census, the real estate company has compiled a list – as reported by the Telegraph – of what it considers to be the top 50 “most desirable” towns in Britain, based of several key factors including state of health, cost of homes, employment figures and job opportunities, and the qualifications that residents hold.
And two Trafford towns have made the cut to earn themselves a coveted spot in the top 20 – Hale and Altrincham.
As the only two North West representatives in the whole of the top 20, the leafy Altrincham village suburb of Hale – which is a favourite among A-listers, professional footballers, and high-earning families – has taken sixth spot on the list, while the town of Altrincham itself has bagged a respectable 19th place.
The rest of the top 20 list is, unsurprisingly, dominated by areas in the Home Counties.
Top 20 ‘most desirable’ towns in Britain
Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Cobham, Surrey
Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Chorleywood, Bukcinghamshire
Amersham, Buckinghamshire
Hale, Greater Manchester
Esher, Surrey
Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Virginia Water, Surrey
Sevenoaks, Kent
West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
Ashtead, Surrey
Farnham, Surrey
Cambridge
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
North Ascot, Berkshire
Altrincham, Greater Manchester
Weybridge, Surrey
Harpenden in Hertfordshire took the top spot, followed by Cobham in Surrey, and then Beaconsfield, Chorleywood, and Amersham, all in Buckinghamshire, rounding out the top five.
Hale and Altrincham have made the top 20 list / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph) | Atrincham Market (via Facebook)
The rest of the top 20 is made up of a series of other Surrey suburbs, as well as neighbourhoods in Oxfordshire, Kent, and Berkshire featuring – with the only other area even slightly close to the north being West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire.
Lucian Cook, who is head of residential research for Savills, told The Telegraph that each of the areas named within the top 20 – including Hale and Altrincham – are not there because they are tourist or second-home hotspots.
“They are aspirational, affluent places that attract incoming wealth with good schools and a strong quality of housing stock where residents are economically active who are building up their property and personal wealth,” he explained.
Sneak peak inside swanky new homes ready to rent in an up-and-coming Greater Manchester town
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of swanky new homes are now available to rent in an up-and-coming Greater Manchester town.
A collection of exciting first look images have been released of the new homes.
The reboot of the former derelict market precinct in the suburban Bolton town of Farnworth is being spearheaded by Capital&Centric, and the social impact developers behind the project are now giving prospective renters a sneak peak into the developed.
Dubbed Farnworth Green, the new community consists of 97 rental homes, made up of a super energy-efficient range of townhouses and apartments.
The development will be comprised of a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom properties, with 85 stunning apartments and 12 family homes – all of which have been designed with the same high-quality features that are usually reserved for Capital&Centric‘s city centre spaces.
Designed for renters, the dozens of new homes come with even more living space, as well private gardens to be enjoyed when the sun makes an appearance, and potting sheds for all the green-fingered people out there.
Residents will also have access to the exclusive rooftop garden, gym, lounge, co-working spaces, and dog washing stations for their four-legged friends.
The two-bed apartments are packed with Scandi-designed HAY furniture and massive floor-to-ceiling windows to flood the rooms with light, while the the top-spec kitchens are kitted-out with all the mod-comms and latest appliances you would expect.
The new townhouses, on the other hand, will be the first to be delivered under the developer’s ‘Neighbourhood’ brand.
Pioneering new homes at Farnworth Green are now available to rent / Credit: Capital&Centric (Supplied)
This includes Bolton’s first-ever operationally net zero homes, aiming to ‘slash’ energy bills for residents.
A raft of independent bars, eateries, and shops will also be taking shape on the ground floor of the community hub, giving locals and residents a place to meet up and enjoy seasonal outdoor events that will be planned once the neighbourhood is up and running.
Residents will also be able to spend time in a brand-new public square at the heart of the community, which will play host to artisan markets, art shows, and foodie pop-ups.
A collection of exciting first look images have been released of the new homes / Credit: Capital&Centric (Supplied)
“We’re buzzing to see the new homes come to life at Farnworth Green,” commented Tom Wilmot, who is the joint Managing Director of Capital&Centric.
“Farnworth Green is all about creating new and exciting spaces for businesses and the community to spend time in, as well as delivering a pioneering new town centre living experience and giving disused retail areas a new lease of life.”
Capital&Centric is encouraging people to sign-up fast to secure a viewing for the remaining apartment here, or walk-ins will be welcomed too.
Featured Image – Capital&Centric (Supplied)
Property
Manchester to get ANOTHER new city centre park as plans get green light
Emily Sergeant
You wait 100 years for a new city centre park, and then two come along one after the other.
That’s right, merely a few years after Mayfield Park finally opened to the Manchester public after more than a century without one, it’s now been revealed that another park is planned for the city centre, as the Government has given the green light to a major new ‘digital campus’ bringing 7,000 civil service jobs to the region.
The new state-of-the-art hub, which will be known as Manchester Digital Campus, will be constructed on the site of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, alongside the new park.
As mentioned, the campus will bring together a number of Civil Service departments, all with a focus around digital skills, and the Government claims it will create ‘significant employment opportunities’ and ‘economic benefits’ in the region.
Ultimately, Government ministers say these ambitious plans are set to boost Manchester’s digital and tech sector.
Our proposed plans for the Manchester Digital Campus have received the green light!
The state-of-the-art campus in Ancoats will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills.
— Government Property Agency (the GPA) (@UKGovPropAgency) February 20, 2025
Alongside the new campus, however, is the perhaps even-more-exciting addition of a new urban park, which is aiming to improve access to quality green space for city centre residents and visitors, while also creating a connection to the existing Cotton Field Park behind and through to Ancoats and New Islington.
The park space has been designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE following public consultation.
According to Manchester City Council, a central lawn and plaza will create a ‘green buffer’ to Great Ancoats Street, with various tiered gardens navigating the different level changes across the site, alongside play areas, paths, and tranquil areas to escape the noise of the city.
The park has also been designed to make sure that it’s fully accessible for all.
A new digital campus by @UKGovPropAgency bringing 7,000 quality jobs to Manchester has been approved.
The campus will transform a derelict former retail site alongside a new city centre park in Ancoats.
The site will accommodate new walking and cycling routes, helping to link to other city centre active travel investment in Ancoats, Northern Quarter, and out towards the Etihad Campus.
“The new park is a welcome addition to our city centre green spaces,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“It’s a reimagining of the former retail site that has for many years acted only as a barrier to the community behind – and an eyesore in one of the most exciting parts of our city.”
Emily Sergeant -
23rd June 2023 
