Promoting Beadnall Copley and its properties through the media including comment and expert opinion on all aspects of the residential property market.

Latest News - January 2006

Yorkshire – there’s no place like home; Yorkshire Post January 2006

Whilst one can expect a biased view from a Yorkshireman, the facts support the claim that Yorkshire is one of the best places to live in the UK

Andrew Beadnall from estate agents and surveyors Beadnall Copley is one of Yorkshire’s biggest supporters, extolling its very real virtues: “Despite gloomy prospects from some area of the media the property market, particularly in Yorkshire, held firm in 2005.

“Whilst some regions especially in the South saw a dip in prices, properties in Yorkshire rose by over 8 per cent against the national average of 5 per cent.”

Yorkshire has consistently performed well over the years including a record 28% increase in 2004 which saw the cost of an average property tip the £100,000 mark for the first time.

Andrew Beadnall: “I truly believe Yorkshire is the best place to live in the UK. Our capital city, Leeds, has one of the most diverse and fastest growing economies in the UK which has had a very positive impact on property prices in our region, with more jobs created over the last twenty years than any other city outside of London.”

The region boasts some of the UK’s top schools in both the state and private sector including Tadcaster and Ripon Grammar Schools, which have helped lift property prices in their catchment areas.

Andrew: “Since our Ripon office opened three years ago, we’ve seen the market there rise above the national average, helped also by the upgrading of the A1/M1 link making the area a prime spot for commuters to Leeds or Teesside.”

Yorkshire, with its track record of wealth from the times of the wool and textile trade, is today home to many of the UK’s Richest People. In a 2003 survey Ilkley had more than 100 millionaires as residents, making it one of the richest towns in the country, higher than footballers’ paradise Altrincham, Cheshire and London’s South Kensington. Leeds suburbs Adel, Alwoodley and Shadwell ranked 79 on the list with 90 millionaires and the genteel Harrogate is home to 85 millionaires.

Andrew: “We sold several properties during 2005 with £million-plus price tags and in some cases went to final and best offers with many interested purchasers.

“Yorkshire has many wonderful properties in delightful locations with some of the most exclusive residential areas such as Linton near Wetherby, parts of North Leeds, Harrogate and the many picturesque surrounding villages.

“Whether the preference is a period residence set in several acres or a riverside apartment, there is something to tick everyone’s wish list.”

Yorkshire appeals to a broad spectrum of people, from the down to earth to the sophisticated. The region is very accessible to other parts of the UK and airports at Leeds/Bradford and Manchester are within easy driving distance opening up European and international business and holiday destinations.

Andrew: “With London less than two hours by train from Leeds and York, we have a growing number of house buyers wanting to enjoy the real benefits and quality of life Yorkshire offers whilst commuting to top jobs in the City.”

From the glorious fishing villages and beaches on the east coast to the stunning Yorkshire Dales; the city of York with its heritage and the cosmopolitan city of Leeds, Yorkshire offers a diverse range of amenities and areas of interest.

There are real business and career opportunities too. Leeds has been a formidable force in Yorkshire’s glittering success; there has been £2.5billion of investment in major commercial, retail and residential property developments over the last decade with a further £4.9billion of projects under construction and in the pipeline.

Dubbed the financial capital of the North, Leeds also has a strong legal centre as well as the second largest media and communications centre in the UK, a sector that has grown by more than 20% in the last two years. The UK’s third largest manufacturing centre, productivity is above the national average at 117%.

The city has benefited from excellent transportation links and an advanced communications infrastructure which with its ready workforce has made it a prime place for existing businesses to expand and newcomers to relocate.

Recent analysis shows that Leeds’ economic growth has averaged 3.7% a year over the last decade and the city’s economy currently stands at £12.8billion, a figure projected to grow by around 34% over the next ten years and employment forecast to grow by over 7% by 2015, resulting in an additional 32,000 jobs.

Leeds has won a myriad of awards; Conde Nast’s Traveller magazine voted it The UK’s Favourite City and the Henley Management Centre ranked it Best Place in Britain to Live. Andrew: “Whatever area of life, Yorkshire delivers every time. The shopping is superb and on a par with any city outside of London. As the birthplace of leading brands such as Marks and Spencer and Burtons, today we have over 1000 shops from Harvey Nichols to the marvellous Victorian Quarter in central Leeds plus many excellent stores and boutiques throughout the region.

“Culturally we have renowned theatre, opera and ballet companies; we took two major national tourist attractions from London - The Royal Armouries and the National Museum of Film and Photography – and can boast some of Britain’s most beloved stately homes including Castle Howard and Harewood House.”

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Andrew is a Trustee of the Hunslet CFA Club Trust, which aims to bring sports to the children of the city: “For many the sporting arena is central to life in Yorkshire, from Rugby League’s Rhinos and Union’s Tykes to Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the many superb football clubs across the region.
“Our county’s success from the growth that Leeds and other major cities in the region have experienced has spawned superb facilities in all walks of life that has had a profoundly positive effect for Yorkshire residents and the housing market. Even private healthcare is unrivalled in this area and we have excellent NHS hospitals, with some of the leading specialists and facilities in Europe.

“My parents and their parents before them were from Leeds and I am justifiably proud of Leeds and Yorkshire.

“In the words of John Prescott: ‘Leeds has never been more economically strong…attracting investment and people want to live and work in the city…it is enjoying growth, growth, growth.’”.

Other cities in Yorkshire have had their share of success – Sheffield has become a major commercial force in recent years and areas of South Yorkshire have developed many call centre-based operations, creating thousands of jobs and breathing new life into former mining areas. Doncaster recently opened a new airport and now thanks to regeneration plans, Hull and Bradford are poised for property growth.

Andrew: “We are looking forward to a positive 2006 and are already becoming very busy for the spring buying period. We foresee a growth in the market and anticipate that interest rates, a major influence on house prices, will fall during the year between half to one percent.”

Yorkshire’s successful commercial track record continues to attract people from other areas of the UK. Andrew: “Over the last decade we have seen a steady increase of house purchasers from outside the region looking to relocate. I believe - and the feedback from the thousands of people buying and selling that we deal with supports this - that Yorkshire is a wonderful place to live, work and play.

“I defy anyone to come here and find it wanting.”

Andrew Beadnall, Beadnall Copley T: 01937 580850 www.beadnallcopley.co.uk


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