WARRINGTON has been ranked 14th in a list of more than 70 northern towns and cities for “liveability.”
It comes higher up the list than neighbouring authorities such as Trafford, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Wigan and St Helens.
And it ranks well above Manchester and Liverpool.
The first Northern Powerhouse Liveability Index has been commissioned by the Warrington-based Your Housing Group, challenges much existing thinking about where the priorities for new housing development are.
“Liveability” is based on a variety of data points including:
Availability: – homes available to rent or buy.
Affordability: – the cost of homes in relation to local incomes.
Opportunity: – the availability of work offering attractive wages in relation to the regional average.
Desirability: – areas where schools have good attainment scores.
The five most “liveable” authorities are South Lakeland, Fylde, Craven, Ribble Valley and South Ribble.
The five least “liveable” authorities are Bradford, Oldham, Blackburn, Knowsley and Pendle.
Brian Cronin, chief executive officer of Your Housing Group said: “This significant new research reveals the hidden problem areas for average earners in towns and cities across the North of England. Importantly it also shows where we need to see the development of more genuinely affordable homes.
“As a housing provider we are passionate about creating more places to thrive. Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a good quality home they can afford, in a thriving neighbourhood with good community facilities and the potential for local work opportunities. That’s why we invest in community regeneration, such as the transformation of Anfield in Liverpool, which has seen us bring homes which lay empty for many years back into use and create employment opportunities through with our regeneration partners.
“Commercial developers simply cannot deliver this and Government needs to recognise the major role housing providers such as Your Housing Group could play to fill this significant gap. We will be sharing our findings with policymakers and setting out ideas on how our sector can boost the supply of affordable housing where it’s needed most.”
Northern Powerhouse partnership director Henri Murison said: “It is not accurate when people claim it is grim up North – prosperity and inequalities vary from area to area. These figures show the great quality of life, for instance, in South Lakeland in Cumbria, on the Fylde or the affordability of homes in Copeland, with great quality jobs at local employers like Sellafield and in their supply chain. Ensuring people can continue to afford decent places to live, even as in the coming decades we close the £7,000 income gap on average between workers in the North and the South, will mean different priorities in housing to deliver affordability across the North.
“Crucial to the success of the Northern Powerhouse is creating vibrant, diverse communities capable of driving the North’s ambitions, attracting the skilled jobs of the future, stimulating economic growth and ultimately helping to rebalance the UK and narrow the North-South divide.”
