Sunday Times hails Stockport as the best place to live in the North West

Last year consumer group Which? recognised Stockport as one of the 12 best places in the UK to live during retirement, the borough recognised as one of the country’s 12 best places for first time buyers to get on the property ladder by the Times newspaper and the historic Underbanks area named one of the 25 best places in the country to shop by the Telegraph.

Now The Sunday Times has given Stockport a glowing recommendation after naming the borough in its annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
It comes at an exciting time for Stockport as 2024 is set to be their biggest year yet with Stockport Council leading the way with an ambitious £1bn development and regeneration programme that aims to build on the great attributes of the borough.

Councillor Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “It’s fantastic to learn that the Sunday Times have named Stockport as the best place to live in the North West, which is just the latest accolade for Stockport and further national recognition. It’s not just us saying we’re one of the most exciting towns around, it’s coming from people far and wide and we couldn’t agree more. We’re committed to making Stockport a place everyone here is proud to call home.

“The town centre has been transformed by more than £1billion of investment – one of the largest regeneration programmes nationally - so this latest news comes at a very exciting time for Stockport. In just a few days our state-of-the-art transport Interchange and our fabulous new Viaduct Park will open and, as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture, next week we are hosting a whole weekend of activities to celebrate the town's fantastic cultural offer. 2024 is our biggest year yet."

Stockport Council’s £1bn transformation is creating a vibrant, thriving town centre fit for the future. It is no longer just a place to go shopping; it’s becoming a place to set up a home, build a business, enjoy nature, and spend time with friends—a place everyone can be proud of.

The Sunday Times’s expert judges visited all the locations on its list and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds to culture, as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street. The judges looked for improving locations with a strong sense of community rather than famous names with high house prices.

The Sunday Times judges said about Stockport: “The town in Greater Manchester is in the throes of a mighty metamorphosis that’s turning it into one of the most exciting towns around. The conversion of the vast Weir Mill into a new neighbourhood is well underway. The new Interchange project will link buses and trains around a new park while the historic streets around the Market Hall and the Underbanks are filling up with a joyous collection of funky independent businesses. It’s functional and family-friendly, too, with unbeatable rail connections, parks, sports clubs and good-value houses up and down the property ladder.”

And Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024. Wherever you are on the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.

“These are all places where you can feel grounded as well as upwardly mobile: they have a mature sense of community, lively, supportive high streets and an eye to the future, whether that is eco-friendly measures, transport and regeneration, or imaginative inclusion of new housing.”

She added: “What makes our guide unique is that we actually visit all the places we choose and talk to locals to find out what life is really like there. That means we can see what people really love about the places they live. That might be fast commutes and high-achieving schools but also clean water to swim in, lively town centres with useful shops, the possibility of earning a living and being part of a friendly community. We do consider affordability, though high house prices are no barrier to inclusion - as long as they provide value for money. Different people may be looking for different things, but what all our best places have in common is that people love living in them and are proud to call them home.”

Six other locations in the northwest are featured in the comprehensive guide which includes 72 locations across the UK, released online today (Friday, 14 March) and in its magazine supplement on Sunday 17 March.

These include:

• Winner: Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Christleton, Cheshire
• Kendal, Cumbria
• Knutsford, Cheshire
• Prestwich, Greater Manchester
• Ribble Valley, Lancashire
• Sefton Park, Liverpool.

North Berwick, East Lothian, was named the overall best place to live in the UK.

To find out more about more about all the great things happening in Stockport and what the area has to offer you can visit the websites of the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, the Stockport Town of Culture and the Stockport Council newsroom.