The scale of demand for social housing in Salford has been revealed by figures which show that homes on estates are attracting huge numbers of bids from would-be tenants.
Among the most sought after wards is Swinton South, which averaged 78 bids for a three-bedroom property between 2019 and 2020.
In terms of demand it's bettered only by Broughton, Pendlebury, and Ellenbrook and Boothstown, in ascending order.
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But with more of the social housing stock in the other communities geared to elderly and vulnerable tenants, Swinton South is particularly in demand with families.
But what exactly makes the area so popular? To find out, the Manchester Evening News spoke to residents living on Dorning Road, which falls within the ward.
ForHousing tenant Anne Pinkney has called the street home for 37 years.
The 74-year-old believes the popularity is down to the local amenities and great neighbours.
“It’s a good place to live, I could never fault it,” she said.
"In regards to neighbours, there’s some great neighbours. We’ve had our problems over the years but it seems to get better each year.
“If someone was looking for a house down here, I’d tell them to grab it.
“There’s schools on your doorstep, we have Swinton precinct which is going from strength-to-strength.
“We have three well-known supermarkets within walking distance from where we live. The parks are on our doorstep so we don’t need to get a bus or a cab.
“There’s something to be found in Swinton and it’s near everywhere. We are fortunate, really, compared to other people.”
Catherine Salmon has lived on Dorning Road for 40 years. The 75-year-old believes the area is sought-after because of the “lovely” people who live there.
“I think it’s popular because of the people that live here. There’s a nice bunch of people,” she said.
“We make everyone feel welcome. On the back field there’s a community centre and there are lots of groups that use it.
“For the kids we have a breakfast club and they have youth workers that come down. It’s really lovely.
“There’s one lady in particular who does a lot for the estate. Everyone gets on. There’s never anything bad going on.
“I’ve been here 40 years. It’s a nice place to live.
“Nothing untoward goes on around here. There are really nice neighbours I’ve known for many years.”
Another resident, who has lived in the area for three years, added: “It’s great for the kids and the community.
“There are local schools and this area specifically is quiet and great for them.
“There’s loads of amenities. Personally, I love it.”
Couple Tom Jones and Sheila Edwards, 62 and 70, moved to the street more than 20 years ago.
They said: “We’ve been here more than 20 years. A lot of the houses around here are well-established and have a garden.
“If you’re in a high-rise block and want to get out, it’s appealing. If you’ve got family, you’re going to bid for somewhere where you’ve got space and a garden.
“We’ve got a park, a football club, a community centre and a gym.
“There’s a shopping centre nearby, buses everywhere and good transport links. It’s easy to get in and out of Manchester or up to Bolton.
“We’ve always had good neighbours and everyone’s got a drive.”
Dorning Road resident Tony Dyke believes the location is popular due to is close proximity to other locations and transport links.
"I’ve lived here all my life,” the 60-year-old said.
“It’s close to everything, there’s a bus station and the local amenities are good.”
But one resident, who did not wish to be named, says the area attracts a lot of trouble.
“I’ve been here all my life. It’s just the people flying about on motorbikes and gangs handing about,” he said.
“I just want to get out of here. It’s just on top of a hill.”
Last year, the Manchester Evening News reported that 6,000 households were waiting for homes in Salford. The average property attracts 61 bids.
Mayor Paul Dennett, who lives in council housing himself, has pledged to bring 3,000 new council homes to the cit
"My view and vision for council housing in the future is that it should be available for everyone," he said.
"We always hear about rip-off rents in the private-rented sector and people who are caught in the private-rented sector not being able to save enough money to get onto the housing ladder.
"Well, my vision for council housing in the future is we should be providing it to everybody and actually they shouldn't be being ripped off.
"Social housing and council housing should afford them the ability to basically save for a mortgage and get onto the housing ladder if their economic circumstances allow it.
"That's my view of things. That's why I live in social housing."
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