A newly-conducted study has revealed that Manchester is ranked among the student towns and cities which have experienced some of the most significant cost losses due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
University towns and cities have also experienced a loss of income when students were forced to move off campus.
There’s no hiding the fact that the extended lockdown period has been financially challenging for all areas of the country, but for places that have a large student population – due to one or more major universities situated there – the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been economically catastrophic.
High streets up and down the UK also saw an 18.8% drop of non-food purchases in the three months leading to August, demonstrating the true cost that COVID-19 had.
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Remove a huge proportion of a town’s student population, and the financial impact was even worse.
Now, this latest research – as released by educational consultant Studee – is highlighting the true cost of the pandemic for university cities and towns over the last six months.
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As a whole, the UK lost £3.5 billion during lockdown, but how much has Manchester been affected?
Pixabay
The study has revealed that the city of Manchester will have sadly lost a staggering £106 million+ in income in total over the past six months of lockdown.
This figure can also be broken down to show the different causes of income loss in the city.
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£3.3 million not spent on gifts and charity.
£5.5 million lost in the Health & Wellbeing sector.
£15 million lost at Manchester takeaways.
£16 million was lost through a lack of socialising.
£17 million wasn’t spent on public transport, or other transportation services.
£13 million not spent on clothes (or in the retail sector).
£35.6 million wasn’t spent on food and non-essential groceries.
When looked at nationally, it’s estimated that over £1 billion will have been lost in student towns and cities from grocery stores alone, £418 million may have been lost out on takeaways, £574 million lost from the transport industry over the last six months, £347 million lost from students not revamping their wardrobes, £172 million is likely to have been withheld from the health and wellbeing sector, and over £156 million is predicted to have been lost from students not giving to charities and buying gifts across the UK.
The largest overall loss nationally lies in the lack of socialising / social activities.
With nightclubs still closed and bars recently being told to restrict their opening hours, a night out on the town hasn’t been an option for students and freshers weeks this year have looked different indeed, meaning that a huge £577 million will have been lost in the UK from students not going out over the last six months.
So, how do the university towns and cities in the UK rank overall?
Biggest Overall Losses
According to the summarised research by Studee, the following towns and cities will have lost the biggest amount of money in total due to the number of students who live there.
When it comes to the towns and cities which will have felt the greatest impact from their losses, the city of Manchester doesn’t feature, nor do any towns with universities located within any of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs.
The top 10 list in this instance has been worked out by the percentage of the population likely to be lost when students leave, and how much money they would have spent.
Egham in Surrey – home to Royal Holloway University – comes in at the top spot on this particular list of most impacted towns.
It’s then followed by Warwick, Farnham, Hatfield and Bangor rounding out the top five.
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The closest place to Manchester on the list is the town of Ormskirk – situated in West Lancashire and bordering Merseyside with around a 30-minute journey to Liverpool – which is home to Edge Hill University and could have lost income of over £15.5 million during the last six months.
That’s nearly £2.5 million every month.
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If you would like to read the full study and research methodology to find out more information, you can do so via the Studee website here.
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The 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In yet more huge sporting news for Greater Manchester, the 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to 0161 later this year.
We’ve had plenty of big peaks of late, but things seem to just keep going up and up.
Set to host the global event for the first time in our history, Manchester will welcome the World Climbing Series (WCS), which is set to include both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines ahead of the next Summer Games in 2028.
2027 will mark the 38th edition of the series, which will also be one of only a handful to be held in the North – it’s just down to our city to make it the best.
Officially announced on Friday, 16 January, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) confirmed the return to the UK.
Founded back in 1989, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is coming up on four decades since the competition first began – Leeds being chosen as the inaugural hosts – the event has come a long way since then.
The IFSC’s rebranding of the annual bouldering, lead and speed trials to the modern WSC, which began last year, was initially revealed back in 2023.
Welcoming continental talent right down to the youth level, the upcoming 2026 World Climbing Series is taking place in the summer and will be hosted by the city of Innsbruck in Austria.
As for the WSC’s Manchester debut, which is being organised in collaboration with the City Council, Manchester Accommodation BID, MCR Active and the National Lottery via UK Sport investment.
It’s not the only big sporting celebration that the Council will be supporting in 2027.
Paul Ratcliffe, CEO of the British Mountaineering Council, said in an official statement: “It’s exciting to be able to confirm that a World Series climbing event will return to the UK in 2027 as part of the BMC’s major event programme.
“Hosting a competition of this scale in Manchester is a strong statement about the UK’s place on the international climbing stage and a great opportunity for our athletes, fans, the climbing community and the wider public to experience the sport at the very highest level.
“Our ‘Route to Adventure’ strategy sets out how we will build on moments like this to support people into climbing and help them progress, whatever their starting point. Using major events to inspire participation, strengthen pathways and reinforce our commitment to inclusion is central to our long-term approach.”
Scheduled to take place in June, you can find out more information about the 2027 World Climbing Series in Manchester by signing up for the official event mailing list HERE.
Inside Greater Manchester’s most EXPENSIVE house on the market with an indoor pool and supercar garage
Emily Sergeant
A new house has recently come up for sale, and it just so happens to be the most expensive house currently on the market in Greater Manchester.
So naturally, we thought we’d let you have a little look inside.
Now, before we all get carried away, it goes without saying that the vast majority of us don’t have the money to buy this house just sitting in our bank accounts right now, but if like us, you’ve got no shame in admitting you love looking at houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute beauty.
This is a house that’s quite literally so exclusive, the estate agents haven’t even listed where abouts it is on Rightmove.
All we know is that it’s a house in Alderley Edge – which is by far and away one of the most affluent areas in Cheshire, bordering Greater Manchester – which is currently listed for sale at an eye-watering £10.95 million, only £50,000 shy of £11 million.
Boasting nearly 13,000 sq ft of internal space, all designed bespoke by Hill House Interiors, this six-bedroom detached super luxe villa is set amongst five acres of expertly manicured private gardens that hold an orchard, pond, paddocks, stable, and even a 4G sports pitch.
Some of the stand-out features inside have to be the substantial kitchen, dining, and living room with balcony, a separate chef’s kitchen, ‘his and hers’ dressing rooms, a three-storey glazed entrance hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the fact that five of the bedrooms have deluxe ensuites.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the small matter of a cinema room, a garden room, a full ‘leisure’ suite with a stunning indoor pool, and even a luxury eight-car garage with its own bar.
This is the most expensive house currently on the market in Greater Manchester / Credit: Jackson-Stops
And to top it off, there’s a one-bedroom detached gate house on the land and planning permission exists for an additional outbuilding.
Of course, with a house this swanky, the property is set behind a secure gated entrance down a large driveway – with a sophisticated security system installed, including zoned alarm system and monitored CCTV.
This property is currently on the market with the Alderley Edge branch of national estate agents Jackson-Stops for, as mentioned, a Guide Price of a whopping £10,950,000, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the agents to arrange a viewing.
Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosy at the Rightmove link here.
Emily Sergeant -
8th October 2020 
