Greater Manchester town is a magnet for parents keen to do their best for their children
From left Lesley Cooke, Judy Boston And Lynsey Evans on Queens Road in Urmston
It’s a town in the south-west corner of Greater Manchester, where average house prices have been surging towards the £1m mark.
So why? Several mums the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to in Urmston say, ‘it’s all about the grammar schools’.
Lynsey Evans, 45, lives in the neighbourhood around Queens Road, which has the third-highest average house price. Four properties have recently been sold there for an average price of £738,737.
“It’s 100 per cent the schools,” the former Urmston Grammar School pupil said. “We probably have the best primary schools in Greater Manchester, and people are moving here from places like Chorlton and Didsbury, which traditionally are perceived to be a lot more upmarket than here.
“But that’s changing, because of the schools and because they have been priced out of Chorlton and Didsbury.
“And they are paying for tutoring for their children to get them into the grammar schools.”
General view of Queens Road, Urmston
Urmston is in the borough of Trafford, which still offers selective education. It has five schools in the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium: Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School, and Urmston Grammar School. All share the same 11-plus exam for Year Seven entry.
In addition, Loreto Grammar School (girls) and St Ambrose College (boys) are grammar schools in Trafford but have separate admissions processes.
Lynsey’s sister, Lesley Cooke, 54, and mum Judy Boston, 81, are visiting from elsewhere in Urmston when the LDRS encounters them on a glorious summer day on Queens Road.
Lesley said, “Our family went to Urmston Grammar School, and our children go there, too. People are moving here because they want their children to go to the best schools. People from outside the area rent properties here just so they can get their children into the best schools. That’s what’s pushing prices up.”
But it’s not just the schools. Houses in the grand old estate at Barnfield – dating back to 1905 – are fetching an average price of nearly £780,000, but one property here recently fetched £2m.
Resident Mark Halstead, 50, is an investment management and financial advice consultant who lives in a beautiful detached house on Barnfield.
Mark Halstead’s beautiful house at Barnfield, Urmston
“These properties were built by an industrialist on a prime plot of land,” he said. “There was a bridal path down the side for the horses, which is still there.
“The people who bought these houses worked in Manchester. There is Urmston Meadows behind here, where people can walk their dogs and enjoy the views over towards the River Mersey. It’s a great place to live.”
However, Barnfield is not the place with the highest average price. That privilege belongs to Pleasant Drive, completed within the last decade by local developer Branley Homes, where homes have gone for an average of nearly £830,000.
And for 73-year-old Trevor Lawrence, his home is ideally situated – on the doorstep of Davyhulme Golf Club. “I love my golf, “ he said. “I play at least three times a week. I’ve got a very understanding wife.”
Trevor Lawrence in Pleasant Drive after completing 18 holes and nearby Davyhulme Golf Club
“All these properties were built with en-suite bathrooms for all of their five bedrooms,” he said.
“I bought my house a few years ago for £725,000, but one here went recently for £925,000. The master bedroom and en suites take up the entire upper floor.”
At the other end of the scale, there are properties in Urmston that sell for as little as £61,000, but these are supporting living apartments for people aged over 55.
Properties on Flixton Road and Malvern Avenue are selling for averages of £133,000 and £134,000, respectively.
When the LDRS spoke to Sue Taylor, 59, and Katy Roberts, 48, on Flixton Road, the subject went back to the schools once again.
“The schools are making this area a more attractive place to live,” said Sue. “That’s what’s pushing house prices up around here.”
Katy agreed: “It’s difficult for young people to get on the housing ladder round here, even at the lower end of the market,” she said. “You feel so sorry for them.”