Real-life Shameless council estate becomes Britain's newest property hotspot as house prices soar by 60% in just four months
06-11-2015
- Wythenshawe was set for fictional Chatsworth estate in Channel 4 show
- Also area where thug infamously mimed a gun gesture at David Cameron
- It is now second most popular postcode in the UK, second only to Chelsea
- House prices in Manchester suburb have soared 60% in past four months
By James Tozer For Mailonline and Matt Chorley, Political Editor for MailOnline
A sprawling suburb which was used as the set for Channel 4 show Shameless has unexpectedly been named as one of Britain's property hotspots.
The average house price in the previously run-down area of Wythenshawe has soared by 60 per cent in the past four months.
At the beginning of the year, the average asking price in the M22 area was around £128,700. But, last month, the figure rocketed to £205,600.
The figures put the Manchester suburb as second only to Chelsea in a list of the country’s most booming postcodes.
Experts put this boom down to a new tramlink, a drop in crime and more jobs and prosperity boosted by a new £19m apprentice academy.
David Threlfall on the set of Shameless, which was filmed around Wythenshawe. The area is now one of the most sought-after areas for property in the country, figures show
The sprawling ‘real-life Shameless’ estate (pictured) has stunned property experts by being named one of Britain’s property hotspots
It is all a far cry from 15 years ago when after years of unemployment, poverty and crime saw the one-time garden suburb earn the unwanted title of the most deprived ward out of 8,414 in England and Wales.
The area became notorious when a teenage thug mimed a gun gesture at David Cameron during a walkabout shortly not long after he became Tory leader.
It was during a walkabout on the estate in 2007 that 17-year-old Ryan Florence – dressed in obligatory hooded top – was pictured carrying out the shooting gesture towards Mr Cameron.
At the time, the unscripted encounter was portrayed as an ugly example of the problems of ‘Broken Britain’ being held up by the-then would-be PM.
Florence was later locked up for burglary, but Wythenshawe’s reputation was not improved by Channel 4 bosses’ decision to build the Shameless set in the area, while the Duchess of York also filmed a documentary about its gritty reputation.
But that appears not to have deterred would-be buyers.
Despite the figure being just a snapshot of what sellers are seeking, with the increase in sold prices likely to be much more modest, community leaders and local residents agree that Wythenshawe’s future looks bright.
| Position | Postcode | Area | Jan-15 | May 2015 | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SW3 | Chelsea | £1,318,430 | £2,290,410 | 73.70% |
| 2 | M22 | Manchester | £128,702 | £205,605 | 59.80% |
| 3 | BB10 | Burnley | £78,250 | £123,093 | 57.30% |
| 4 | SE4 | Brockley | £339,833 | £522,983 | 53.90% |
| 5 | SP11 | Andover | £349,880 | £521,227 | 49% |
| 6 | BS8 | Bristol | £389,978 | £563,819 | 44.60% |
| 7 | TW10 | Richmond | £893,242 | £1,277,501 | 43% |
| 8 | BH4 | Bournemouth | £210,617 | £293,554 | 39.40% |
| 9 | NE23 | Cramlington | £102,363 | £141,633 | 38.40% |
| 10 | RH17 | Haywards Heath | £497,765 | £686,341 | 37.90% |
After a generation of council house sales, the majority of Wythenshawe’s homes are now privately owned – 55 per cent – and prices have tripled since 2000.
A key factor in the latest increase is thought to be the extension of Manchester’s Metrolink tram network through Wythenshawe to Manchester Airport – research suggests living near a tram station can add an average of £8,300 onto the value of a home.
The area has benefits from hundreds of millions of pounds in investment, notably the £19million Manchester Enterprise Academy sponsored by nearby Manchester Airport.
Buyers have also been attracted to areas at the northern side of Wythenshawe such as Northenden and Sharston as a result of soaring prices in more desirable suburbs such as Didsbury.
The town centre has just nine empty units - the best rate in the country – while crime has dropped by more than a quarter in a year.
It is all a far cry from 15 years ago when after years of unemployment, poverty and crime saw the one-time garden suburb earn the unwanted title of the most deprived ward out of 8,414 in England and Wales
It is all a far cry from 15 years ago when after years of unemployment, poverty and crime saw the one-time garden suburb earn the unwanted title of the most deprived ward out of 8,414 in England and Wales
Following the sale of thousands of houses and flats begun by Margaret Thatcher’s revolutionary right to buy scheme, ex-tenants are now enjoying the fruits of booming values in the area (pictured)
Following the sale of thousands of houses and flats begun by Margaret Thatcher’s revolutionary right to buy scheme, ex-tenants are now enjoying the fruits of booming values in the area (pictured)
In the last decade, 3,000 new homes have been built there while there have been more than 1,500 new businesses and more than 52,000 jobs.
General manager Jeff Jackson said: 'People can see the change happening before their eyes. The preconceived notions are disappearing. Wythenshawe’s the place to be.'
Among the newcomers are teacher Caroline Cassidy, 25, and her partner, web developer Oliver Gibson, 26, who bought a home in Wythenshawe in October 2013 which has already gone up in value by ten per cent.
Miss Cassidy, mother of Violet, one, said it was now a vibrant, green district that was the perfect place to raise a family.
A key factor in the latest increase is thought to be the extension of Manchester’s Metrolink tram network (pictured) through Wythenshawe to Manchester Airport
The area has benefits from hundreds of millions of pounds in investment, notably the £19million Manchester Enterprise Academy sponsored by nearby Manchester Airport
The area has benefits from hundreds of millions of pounds in investment, notably the £19million Manchester Enterprise Academy sponsored by nearby Manchester Airport
HOW EXPERTS HAVE 'DESIGNED OUT CRIME' IN MANCHESTER SUBURB
The enormous Wythenshawe estate in south Manchester was built post-war with the best intentions - but soon became one of the most crime-ridden areas in the country.
But in the past few years, experts have been attempting to 'design out crime' with a series on new developments.
Now, in Greater Manchester, any developer planning to build six or more residential properties must ask Design for Security, an inhouse consultancy which specialises in design-led crime prevention, to come up with a Crime Impact Statement to present to the council’s planning board.
This green line on the graph shows how anti-social behaviour has dropped in the area in the past year
The organisation attempts to 'design out crime', rather than trying to tackle it once it has already bred.
One example of an area where this has worked is the 12 new flats on Littlewood Road in the Woodhouse Park area, which has remained almost crime free since being built in 2010.
Last year, crime across Wythenshawe dropped by 27per cent, with anti-social behaviour falling most significantly. In total, there were 886 crimes recorded in Wythenshawe in April 2013, compared to 796 two years on.
HOW 134 HOME BUYERS HAVE BENEFITTED FROM NEW GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
One of the causes for the increase in house prices could be a rise in demand fuelled by government schemes to get more people on to the property ladder.
Since April 2013, 37 homes have been bought using the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme.
Buyers have to find a 5 per cent deposit but the government then stumps up 20 per cent of the value, with a standard mortgage used for the remaining 75 per cent.
The loan is only repaid to the government when the property is sold, or after 25 years.
Another 97 homes have been bought using the Help To Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme since October 2013.
The government will guarantee the loan to mortgage lenders, and only pays out if the homeowner defaults.
The Conservative government plans to go further in offering state support to homebuyers.
A Help to Buy ISA, announced by George Osborne in last March, which will help first-time buyers save for a deposit.
For every £200 someone puts towards a deposit, the government will add £50 up to a maximum of £12,000, meaning a bonus of up to £3,000.
And Right To Buy, offering discounts of up to 70 per cent, will be extended to 1.3million families living in housing association properties.
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‘It’s a lovely place to live and hopefully we will make a bit of money on the house,’ she said. ‘I love it here. There’s real community spirit and people really do help each other out.
‘The houses, a lot of them former council houses, are a lot bigger than new homes being built elsewhere.
‘Our neighbourhood is very quiet. There is a bit of a stigma about Wythenshawe, still, about it being rough. But it isn’t.
‘We live on a street full of families and we love it.’
Mandy Burns, managing director of Northern Etchells Homes, said the market there was ‘booming’ with one house where a sale fell through eight months ago when the price was £98,000 having just sold for £113,000.
‘Prices are rising all the time,’ she said. ‘We have people regularly making £5,000 or more on houses in a short space of time.
‘The Metrolink opening a year early was massive. People were worried about the noise and the traffic, but it’s been a real asset for Wythenshawe.
‘There’s so much investment coming into the area. It’s a real mix of people - families, professionals, hospital workers, airport staff.’
Mike Kane, Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said: ‘Those of us who live and work in Wythenshawe know what a great location our garden city is, it now appears that this is reaching a much wider audience with news of rising house prices.
‘The launch of Metrolink, ongoing development of Airport City and Medipark and £1billion investment in Manchester Airport announced only last week, tell the story of a vibrant and booming Wythenshawe that understandably people want to be a part of.’
The town centre has just nine empty units - the best rate in the country – while crime has dropped by more than a quarter in a year
HOW THE METROLINK CREATED DESIRABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS
The £400m Metrolink opened in November, one year ahead of schedule.
With 15 stops spread across nine miles, its construction linked previously marooned suburbs of Manchester, such as Wythenshawe, with the rest of the city and the airport.
Those who back the scheme lauded the new transport system as a symbol of George Osborne’s ‘northern powerhouse’ idea, which allowed powers to be devolved to Manchester, where the project was kick-started without being micro-managed by Whitehall.
Research suggests that living near a tram station can add an average of £8,300 onto the value of a home.
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HOW MANCHESTER ENTERPRISE ACADEMY BOOSTED AREA
The Manchester Enterprise Academy is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form with academy status based in the suburb of Wythenshawe.
In 2009, it was converted from the 'failing' Parklands High School into the Manchester Enterprise Academy, which was sponsored by several leading organisations, including the Manchester Airports Group and Manchester United Foundation.
It led to many of the old buildings being demolished to make way for the £19m academy.
This year, it was named as the most improved school in Manchester over the past three years by the Department for Education.