People living in the newly labelled "property hotspot" have voiced their opinions on what it really means for the town.
Those living in Formby have seen the area develop at a rapid pace in recent years, with property developer Barratt Homes labelling the popular seaside town a hotspot. Despite the seemingly positive label, residents have raised a number of problems.
The hotspot label has come after Barratt Homes conducted a survey on 2,000 would-be homebuyers and renters that found 69% of those value outdoor areas as their priority. Although this ranks at the top of Zoopla users' priorities, people living in Formby feel as though those outdoor areas are starting to dwindle.
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With the number of people flocking to beachside town, people already living in Formby have had their say on the new label.
One person, who moved to the area from Litherland, said: "It’s not as nice as it used to be.
"It doesn’t do anything for me now. Formby just doesn’t have the infrastructure for all the houses, it only has three roads in and out and they’re already choked. The bypass was a country road when I was a boy now look at it, it’s horrible."
One man, who has recently sold his house and is moving to Lochness, told the ECHO: "It has become a hotspot and it was the beginning of covid it started. What it is doing is it's also having a negative impact on the village. I think there are a couple of new estates that have been built around the village, I call it a village when it isn't anymore, it's more of a small town.
"For the people that have lived here for a while, probably not as appealing as it used to be. We used to get a lot of people come here of a weekend or a bank holiday in the summer which is great, I used to come here as a kid myself. But now it's every day, at 9am all the way through the summer and winter.
"We've actually sold our house and we're moving away from here. It's not necessarily because of that but it's a factor. You move to a place because it's a green space, and you expect places to evolve, change and modernise but I think there's a lot of self-interest from the council."
One 27-year-old who has lived in the area his entire life said: "Formby has always been seen as a desirable area. It has good schools and fantastic scenery to enjoy but over the last five years housing developments have started to become more common and it has had a negative effect on the area.
"As the property market has started to take off in Formby it has directly effect the lack of investment in our infrastructure and I think that can be seen by many of Formby's residents."
Despite the views of those living in the town, BlueHealth found that living near water improved the likelihood to seek physical exercise and also improved people's moods. A sales director at Barratt Homes found it as "no surprise" that Formby was now thought of as a property hotspot.
Michaela Lancaster, sales director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “It’s no surprise that Formby is being chosen as a property hotspot due to its stunning location and range of traditional homes available.
“Our properties at Pinewood Park have continued to prove popular and the location is a real draw for those looking to escape to the country. As the development is selling fast, we’d encourage keen house hunters to act quickly if they want to secure their slice of luxury living in this hidden gem.”
