Property

Two towns around an hour away from Manchester named ‘most affordable’ places to buy your first home

Time to get on the property ladder.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 2nd June 2026

Two towns that are around an hour away from Manchester have been named among the ‘most affordable’ places to buy your first home.

It’s all according to the latest analysis by consumer watchdog Which?, and Lloyds bank.

Getting onto the property ladder remains a struggle for many first time buyers, especially following increases to mortgage rates since the start of spring – but where you buy can make a huge difference, according to Which?, and now new research from Lloyds has revealed the cheapest areas to buy your first home.

Some of the locations on the list are even averaging less than half the price of homes in London, proving the North West is where you want to be to get your foot on the property ladder.

According to research from Lloyds Bank, the most affordable place for first time buyers in the UK is East Ayrshire in Scotland.

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But when it comes to the North West, Blackpool is not only the most affordable area in region – ranking at number three on the list – but it’s also the cheapest in the whole of England too, beating Kingston upon Hull by just a few hundred pounds.

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Two towns around an hour away from Manchester have been named among the ‘most affordable’ places to buy your first home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott | Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)

The average first time buyer price in Blackpool is £150,780, according to the research.

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Following Blackpool, ranking at sixth place on the list, is Hyndburn in Lancashire – which is actually a local Government district with borough status, that encompasses towns like Accrington and Great Harwood – with an average first time buyer price of £155,911.

Along with the most affordable areas for first time buyers, Lloyds has also calculated the areas with the youngest first time buyers too – and the North West also takes that title,

In the UK as a whole, the average age of a first time buyer is now 32, however buyers in some parts of the country are getting onto the property ladder much earlier than others, particularly in more affordable areas outside major cities. 

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The area with the youngest first time buyers is the Ribble Valley, according to Lloyds.

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The largest town in this Lancashire district is Clitheroe, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, and in less than 40 minutes by car, you can get to Preston, Blackburn, and Burnley, so it’s a pretty well-connected place for also being so affordable.

Featured Image – Stuart Wilding (Geograph)

Property

Four North West towns named among Britain’s top 10 seaside ‘property hotspots’ for 2026

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Four North West towns have been named among Britain’s top 10 ‘property hotspots’ by the sea for 2026.

You may already be familiar that, every year, leading property listing website Rightmove takes a look at all the cities, towns, and residential areas across the UK where house prices saw a significant hike on average last year, and puts together a top 10 list.

The ‘hotspot’ table is made up of a variety of locations where prices rose the most, when compared to the end of the year prior.

But now, they’ve done a special seaside version too.

Of course, “Manchester‘s got everything except a beach” so it won’t come as a surprise that no Greater Manchester towns are featured on this list, but that isn’t the case for the rest of the North West though, as Merseyside and Cumbria are well represented.

In fact, it’s actually the North West that’s taken the top spot, as Bootle in Merseyside has been named Britain’s top seaside house price hotspot, with asking prices having risen 11% in the past year alone, and that’s even with an average house price still way below the national average at £141,680.

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Four North West towns have been named among Britain’s top 10 seaside ‘property hotspots’ for 2026 / Credit: James Feaver | Gabe Fender (via Unsplash)

Second place can be found just 10 minutes further up the coast in the town of Crosby, where the average asking prices are up 9% compared to last year, reaching £330,900.

Wallasey comes in at sixth place on the list, with house prices rising 7% to £200,753 on average, while Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria ranks at number nine with house prices increasing 6% to an average of £185,169.

Rightmove says the data shows that coastal living remains ‘relatively accessible’ in several areas, with nine of the top 10 fastest growing seaside locations still priced below the national average, and across more than 100 coastal areas analysed, more than 80% also have an average asking price below the national average (£378,304).

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“The fastest-growing seaside markets this year show that demand for coastal homes in many areas remains resilient, even as overall price growth across the UK stays more modest,” commented Colleen Babcock, who is Rightmove’s property expert.

“While some locations are seeing strong price increases, there are still many areas where living by the sea is more affordable, giving buyers a wider range of options depending on their budget.”

Featured Image – Mitchel Orr (via Unsplash)

Property

Stage and Radio issue defiant statement in response to concerning development plans

Danny Jones Danny Jones Stage and Radio petition and statement against new flats redevelopment Manchester

Manchester centre bar, music venue, and nightlife institution, Stage and Radio, has shared an impassioned and defiant statement in the face of proposed plans to be built next to the venue.

And when we say next to, we mean next door – and by that we mean practically on their doorstep, not to mention that of other local businesses.

Situated within one of the city’s most important creative and cultural hubs, in the form of the Northern Quarter, the gig space, club and popular meeting place finds itself under serious threat.

Here’s their statement in full:

Speaking in the accompanying caption, they said: “Comment below and we’ll DM you a link to take action (It’s also in our bio!).”

They go on to say, “We’re urgently asking for the public to support Stage & Radio by voicing concerns by 10th June 2026 about a future development going up within a few meters of the venue.”

Unsurprisingly, the post has been met with an outpouring of not only shared rage, frustration and confusion, but more importantly, they’ve received a huge amount of support in the comments, too.

Fellow Manc favourite nighttime venue, Hidden, added, “Sit tight @stageandradiomcr you’re not going anywhere; meanwhile, several people across multiple sites have simply written, ‘Stage and Radio 4 Life.”

New developments and residential ventures continue to pop up all over the city and surrounding regions, as they always will, and Manchester City Council has stressed that this latest development – an eight-storey residential block by This City – will not be under threat.

Leader of the Council Bev Craig said: “Music and arts venues like Stage and Radio are the soul of our Northern Quarter. Music is woven into the very fabric of Manchester, it’s part of what makes our city so great. It is not under threat on my watch.

“Across the country we are seeing too many venues close down, in Manchester we want to protect and nurture them. That’s why we have worked in partnership with the Music Venues Trust in recent months to provide almost £250,000 in grant funding to support small venues and operators in an increasingly difficult economic climate.

“This is a vital lifeline for many smaller grassroots businesses, and we know that without them there won’t be the next big star.

“Cities are always changing, especially when new affordable homes are being built, but let me be unequivocal – Stage and Radio is not under threat. They were here first, and our Agent of Change principle defends that.

“Any new development nearby will have the top level of sound proofing and the onus is on the council as the builder not the music venue. We are also working with the venue to consider what investment our This City housing company can make to the venue building to limit sound escaping.

“I’ve offered to meet with the venue operators personally to give my commitment that venues like theirs help create the artists of the future and make our music scene what it is today.”

As for Stage and Radio, we’ve had the pleasure of spending a fair few late nights there (not to mention well into the early hours of the next morning) over the years.

Besides being a great place to watch up-and-coming live acts, DJ sets, and more, it’s also one of the best places to go before and after a gig in Manchester city centre.

Releasing a direct statement to The Manc and Audio North, they told us: “We are deeply concerned about whether residential flats positioned directly beside an established grassroots music venue can realistically provide appropriate residential amenity and conditions suitable for long-term human
habitation, while also protecting an existing venue from future conflict.”

S&R also noted these circumstances are not entirely unlike those that have jeopardised the future of fellow NQ neighbours and live music venue, Night and Day Cafe, in recent times.

The countdown is now ticking away for Stage and Radio – quite literally, as you can see by the banner now showing on the homepage of their website.

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If you want to help save not just this venue but the culture, community and artistic scene it stands for, you can sign the protest petition and get involved in the fight right HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Audio North

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