House price growth in new towns has outpaced the UK as a whole over the past decade, according to Halifax.

Valuations have leapt by 32 per cent in cities built "to alleviate housing shortages" after World War II, says The Guardian, rising from £173,337 in 2006 to £228,902 last year.

That was ahead of wider growth of 26 per cent across the country, although the broader average price is still higher than in new towns, having risen from £200,059 to £251,679 in 2016.

Milton Keynes saw the fastest rise over 30 years, with the typical property increasing 601 per cent in value to reach £309,415.

Halifax, which used its own lending figures for the report, compiled the study of 26 new towns to mark the city's milestone.

Many of the towns are "within easy commuting distance of major commercial centres", while their lower house prices had made them a "highly popular choice", said the lender.

The Guardian adds that several are "in the London commuter belt, with prices in Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead seeing particularly strong gains".

www.theweek.co.uk