OVERVIEW
Like Bury, Rochdale was a thriving textile mill town in the 19th century.
Situated on the edge of the Pennine Hills, it offers an urban environment with easy access to stunning countryside. It is 17 minutes away from Manchester by train and is now part of Manchester’s Metrolink, following the opening on the Rochdale Interchange Bus Station in 2013. With the M62 close by, commuters can reach both Leeds and Manchester in 35 minutes.
The regeneration of the town centre has been given a major boost this year with the go-ahead for a £80m shopping and leisure development in the heart of the town. The 200,000 sq ft development will comprise about 24 new shops, restaurants and a six screen-cinema. Next, M&S, JD Sports, Boots and River Island have already signed up to the scheme, alongside Reel Cinemas. The development is due to open the public in summer of 2020.
Meanwhile, thanks to its excellent location, Rochdale has a number of successful business and distribution parks, including Kingsway – a strategically important and exciting development by Junction 21 of the M62. The 420-acre Kingsway is around an hour’s drive from the Port of Liverpool and 90 minutes from Humberside’s ports. Businesses including Asda, Wincanton, JD Sports, CR Laurence, E.ON and Takeuchi MFG have chosen to make Kingsway their home.
The combination of Rochdale’s location, transport links and inward investment has led to a surge in interest in residential property, with Rightmove recently naming the town as one of the top ten fastest-moving housing markets in the UK. Rightmove based its findings on how local housing markets had changed over the past year, including the number of properties available and the number of days it took to complete a sale.
Average house price (Zoopla, January 2019): £155,045
KEY FACTS
Location: Rochdale is 5.3 miles northwest of Oldham and 9.8 miles northeast of Manchester.
Transport: Manchester is 7 minutes away by train and with the M62 close by, commuters can reach both Leeds and Manchester in 35 minutes. Rochdale is now part of Manchester’s Metrolink, following the opening on the Rochdale Interchange Bus Station in 2013.
Investment: The regeneration of the town centre has been given a major boost this year with the go-ahead for a £80m shopping and leisure development in the heart of the town.
Housing: The combination of Rochdale’s location, transport links and inward investment has led to a surge in interest in residential property, with Rightmove recently naming the town as one of the top ten fastest-moving housing markets in the UK.