Property Investment Guide – Trafford has above national average incomes
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a prosperous area. It is the only borough in Greater Manchester (apart from Manchester itself) to be above the national average for weekly income, and is on average the highest in the county.
Trafford’s economy is excellent, it has a lower rate of unemployment, compared with both Greater Manchester and England as a whole and the lowest number of unemployment benefit claimants compared to all the other boroughs in Greater Manchester.
The area had a total population of 226,578 in 2011 and an increase of 7.25% since the previous census in 2001.
The Trafford Centre (Intu) is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex, situated in the borough of Trafford. Construction took 27 months and cost £600m before completing in 1998.
It is the UK’s largest shopping centre in retail size. Two further extensions, Barton Square and the Great Hall, opened in 2008 at a combined cost of over £100m. It was sold for £1.65bn in 2011, making it the largest single property acquisition in British history. As of 2014, the centre has a market value of £1.9bn.
10% of the UK population lives within a 45-minute drive of the shopping centre, which attracts more than 35 million visits per year. It’s home to Europe’s largest food court, The Orient, and the UK’s busiest cinema, which attracts more than 28,500 visitors each week. It has car parking for over 11,500 vehicles.
Being a very affluent area, unsurprisingly the average house prices in Trafford are one of the highest out of all the metropolitan boroughs in Greater Manchester. In 2015 house prices sold in the area on average for £259,659, a little more expensive than nearby Sale and Urmston according to Rightmove. According to the 2011 census over 11,000 people in the borough private rent.
The Trafford Park Industrial Estate is located approximately five miles west of Manchester City centre, near the Trafford Centre.
The centre was founded in 1897 and employed 75,000 people at its peak in 1945. Trafford Park was the world’s first planned industrial estate and is Europe’s largest business park.
More than 1,400 companies are based in the park, covering wide demography and employing between 35,000 and 45,000 people.
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Economy & Employment
Employing around 40,000 staff, Trafford Park industrial estate drives the economy in the borough.
Trafford Park was founded in 1897, and at its peak employed 75,000 people. It was the world’s first planned industrial estate and Europe’s largest business park.
More than 1,400 companies operate from within it, employing between 35,000 and 45,000 people. Mainly medium to large businesses like Nuttall Packaging and HSS Hire are based here.
Major employers include:
- PZ Cussons, a soap manufacturer employing more than 300 people. They delivered profits of £115m in the year to the end of May 2014.
- N Brown, a plus size fashion retailer that took 4.5 million online orders in the 12 month accounting period. It is the number one online retailer for plus size fashion with more than seven million customers.
The Trafford Park Euroterminal rail freight terminal has the capacity to deal with 100,000 containers a year. It was opened in 1993, at a cost of £11m.
Media, advertising and public relations have also been identified as growth industries in Greater Manchester and Trafford.
Discover more information with a free Trafford Property Investment Guide.
Investment
Infrastructure development and support services are underway in Trafford.
The Stretford Town Centre Masterplan is a priority in the region. It includes new pedestrian crossings, which will replace three of the existing subways, enhancing the public realm and attracting developers and investors in the area.
Proposals have been made for an £800m gas-fired power plant, which would provide power for 2 million homes. Carlton Power has secured a £30m government investment and has until 19 December 2016 to secure the necessary funding.
The plan plays into the Department of Energy and Climate Change’ proposal to shut all coal-fired plants by 2025.
Improvements for rail, bus, Metrolink, walking and cycling access are also on the cards.
Protecting the industrial heritage while promoting education, recreation, tourism and leisure is a priority in the area.
The Canal is to be maintained as a commercial waterway and gateway to the regional centre.
Transport
Air: Manchester Airport is just under 10 miles from Trafford, providing flights to around 225 destinations worldwide.
Rail: The Manchester Metrolink runs north to south through Trafford, with its southern terminus in Altrincham serving a number of destinations. Trafford is connected to Liverpool through the Warrington Central Line.
Road: Part of the M60 orbital motorway passes through Trafford.
Bus: A range of bus services provide connections between various towns in the borough and links to the city centre and other urban areas of Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Tram: Frequent and fast travel across the area is provided by the efficient Metrolink Tram system.
Education
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford contains 73 primary, 11 secondary, 7 grammar and 6 special schools.
Trafford maintains a selective education system assessed by the eleven plus exam. Overall, Trafford was ranked second out of all of the local education authorities in national curriculum assessment performance in 2014.
It was also the first in the United Kingdom for Key Stage 2 results, with 87% of Year 6 pupils achieving the expected standard of Level 4 or above, and second for both GCSE and A-Level results. All Trafford’s seven grammar schools are in the top 10 best performing state schools in Greater Manchester.
Notable schools include: Stretford Grammar School, a co-ed mixed school in Stretford. 97% of its pupils gained at least 5 A* to C grade GCSEs, including English and Maths, well above the national average.
Further Education and Higher Education: Trafford College, a £29m ‘super college’ in Stretford, provides all forms of further and higher education in Trafford. It was officially opened in 2008, following a merger between South Trafford College and North Trafford College. It offers courses across the board for further and higher education students in a wide choice of subjects.
Shops & Leisure
Shopping & Dining: The Trafford Centre is the main shopping centre in Trafford and Greater Manchester. Run by Intu, it comprises 235 stores, 55 restaurants and the largest Odeon cinema in the UK. The Orient food hall in the Trafford Centre is themed as a steamship, reflecting the centre’s proximity to the Manchester shipping canal.
Sport & Culture: Old Trafford is the home of Manchester United football club. It was the second richest football club in the world for 2013–14 in terms of revenue, with annual revenue of €518m, and the world’s second most valuable sports team in 2013, valued at $3.2bn. It is one of the most widely supported football teams in the world.
The Imperial War Museum North was opened in Trafford Park in 2002.
In 2003, the museum won the British Construction Industry Building Award and the title of Large Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2006 Manchester Tourism Awards.
Green Spaces: Surprisingly, just under 52% of Trafford is green-space. Dunham Massey park, house and garden is Trafford’s most significant attraction.
The National Trust property has plenty to offer with a new visitor centre, it also offers a coffee shop and café for refreshments.