One area of Stockport has seen house prices drop more than anywhere else in Greater Manchester.
Property prices in Brinnington and Central fell by £28,745 between June 2020 and June 2021 – a drop of around 17 per cent. According to the Office for National Statistics, the average home used to sell for around £172,995. Now, they go for an average of £144,250.
While some living in Brinnington can see why homes have seen a drop in value, most say it’s a “nice” place to live with a “friendly community spirit”.
Hazel Carrick has lived in Brinnington for 52 years, moving to the area when she was just 10-years-old.
“I like Brinnington; it’s a good place to live,” the 61-year-old told the Manchester Evening News. “There is a minority that are a pain. But you get it in posh places, it’s everywhere. The people here are really good; if someone goes missing or needs help, they rally around.
They also give stuff to someone if they’ve just got a place. I’ve lived here since I was 10. I’m proud to live here; I’m proud to come from Brinnington.”
Another resident, who did not wish to give her name, says she can “understand” why people wouldn’t want to move to Brinnington. She believes one of the reasons may be antisocial behaviour in the area.
“I’ve lived here all my life so I like it, but I can understand maybe why people don’t want to move here,” the 56-year-old says. “A lot of people get terrorised. Not me personally, but it’s been bad. It’s died down over the last few months but at one point before Christmas it was terrible.”
“The kids gang up on the park and terrorise people for the sake of it, even setting fire to things and throwing bricks. The police have their hands tied. They can only do so much. They’ve been punching people and barricading the roads so traffic can’t get through... that’s how bad it got.
“It’s quietened down but I can understand why there’s been a decline. I like the people here. I don’t really go out; I just tend to stay in now. It was lovely around here when my kids were growing up.”
Peter and Emma Betts moved to Brinnington eight years ago. Together, they have three children. The pair say they has “no trouble” during the first few years, but noticed an increase in antisocial behaviour over lockdown.
“It’s certain families that everyone knows about,” 34-year-old Peter says. “We’ve been here for eight years and the first few years we didn’t have an issue. We noticed more anti-social behaviour during lockdown. But the estate is changing; there are lots of new houses and we’re happy with the school.”
Resident Jennifer Gouldon says her favourite thing about Brinnington is the “friendly community”. The 39-year-old told the M.E.N: “It’s a nice area; it’s got a friendly community but I wouldn’t say everyone knows everyone.
“This street is quiet. There's no trouble, no bother. It’s close to Stockport and we’ve got a new gym that’s just opened. The schools are really good and we’ve got a good rail network.”
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, properties in Wigan's Astley Mosley Common have also seen steep declines in value. In one year, house prices fell from £226,000 to £199,975.
Meanwhile, the average property in Ancoats and Beswick in Manchester also decreased in value, falling from £239,625 to £218,600, a drop of around nine per cent.
Karen Goldstraw, who lives on Trent Close, thinks Brinnington is “brilliant” - but is missing one thing. The 56-year-old believes there could be more activities for kids to enjoy, such as extra parks or clubs.
“I used to live in Reddish. I think it’s brilliant here,” she says. “The only thing it’s missing is activities for the kids. There’s only one park. It’s a proper little community. This street is brilliant. Everyone helps each other out. It’s close to amenities, Stockport and the motorway. It’s got a few shops if you need things. That B&M on the end is a godsend.”
Jackie, who did not wish to give her last name, has lived in the Brinnington for 28 years. She says the area used to be nice but now has too many cars. She claims antisocial behaviour in the neighbourhood once became so bad, delivery drivers refused to come to the area.
“I think it was a nice place to live but now there’s too many cars,” the 52-year-old told the M.E.N. “The delivery drivers wouldn’t come here because of the antisocial behaviour. There was nothing for the kids to do so they were just causing havoc on the park. I don’t go out anymore, my kids are grown up.”
On the other end of the spectrum, an area of Oldham saw house prices rise faster than anywhere else in Greater Manchester. Property prices in Waterhead increased by a massive 44 per cent between June 2020 and June 2021.
Where an average home in the neighbourhood used to sell for £90,000, they now go for around £130,000. Longford in Trafford also saw property prices increase by 44 per cent in the last year, with the average cost rising from £205,500 to £295,000.
Paul Wiseman, 61, has lived in Brinnington for 14 years. “I find it alright; I have no problems,” he says. I like the neighbours. It’s good for shops, there are plenty at the top and at the back.”
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