To ask your advice about Warrington please

[loveyoutothemoonandback86]

Hi everyone

I posted a few months ago about the possibility of moving to Manchester from London and has some lovely people respond which helped a lot. Anyway we went to see Manchester and loved the urmston/ flixton area but we really wanted new builds and they aren't around in that area. The areas where there are new builds don't seem to be great or have good schools. Good schools are essential I have 4dc aged 12,10,5,2.
We looked at Warrington, great Sankey only because we saw the new build online. The area seemed really quite but loads of new builds being built so I'm sure it will develop in a few years. We didn't have much time to check all the areas around Warrington but are going up again next month.
Any help on Warrington would be appreciated, great sanjey and other areas too. Although our heart is in Manchester we loves the busyness but the prices in Warrington will leave us in a very food position financially by us having a very small mortgage so this is really pushing the decision.
The only reason to leave London is to reduce mortgage and get a bigger house and also leave crime central to be honest.
Any info on Warrington or if you've made the move from London let me know. I'm very nervous to leave London as this is where I've always lives but want my dc to have a better life. Is Warrington a busy place in the centre like Manchester ?

Oh wow thank you for your replies .
@Fivebyfivesq imo own it sounds mad moving from London but I'm thinking bigger. House much smaller mortgage equalling to a better quality of life and more family time.
The new build in Appleton are very pricey and out of my budget.
I'll have a look at south Warrington too as you all suggest. Great Sankey definitely was very quiet but I thought in a few years in would develop a lot more as loads of people will fill in the new builds.
I've also been looking at the new builds in newton or willows which are also very well priced but not sure if the area ?

Like a pp said I may have to compromise on the new build, it was a preference because we all preferred the new builds and also we could easily move by signing up for a house that will be ready when we are ready to
Move making life a lot easier.
Thanks everyone
@Acdmad I may actually pm you tomorrow if that's ok?

Spacewise from when we have been looking you get less for your money with a new build around here too. Some of the older houses are very spacious compared to what you get for the same money new build

I wouldn’t ever move anywhere just for the house. That’s why south of the canal (Grappenhall, Stockton Heath, Lymm, Appleton) is what I would advise- you’ll get a lot more for your money than London obviously but it’s still a decent place to live. Great Sankey and the rest, not so much.

Go and visit.

Is Newton-le-Willows an actual place? I mean, I know it exists, I went there 25 years ago. Just it seemed like a nothing housing estate between Manchester and Liverpool. But with nothing actually THERE iyswim. Has stuff developed there as houses have been built or is it a suburb with a terrifically congested journey to get anywhere you'd actually want to get to (Liverpool or Manchester)?

Hey, I live in Newton-Le-Willows, and work in Manchester. I commute on the train (17 mins to oxford road, 20 to picadilly, or 22 to victoria. One stop) and my partner commutes on the train to Liverpool.

Great little village with v low crime, good range of houses, 3 great primary schools. The high street has great independent bars and shops, a nice park, good community feel. Can be in the Trafford centre in less than 20 mins in the car, in Liverpool city centre in about 40. Not sure on driving to manchester as i always get the train in. We dont go into warrington a lot but its busy with the usual high street stores and banks. Good nightlife (I hear). We get the train to Euston from warrington and takes less than 2 hrs and is cheap on virgin.

We really like Stockton Heath (v popular and upmarket), Appleton, Grappenhall and Winwick (not new build but look at winwick park!) areas of Warrington.

NLW is great though as you can get to so many places in 20-40 mins, and youre right on junction 23 of the m6 and 5 min drive from the 62, very close to a big ikea, next and m&s. Prices in NLW for houses are very good. RE newbuilds, avoid the Vulcan village ones by persimmons.

We looked at nice new builds in Culcheth but they were a bit too rural for us.

True Warrington is nothing like London, but it gets you to places quickly. What is it you want from where you move?

Sorry Ginfilled, like I say it was 25 odd years ago I was there. Plus I hail from a town that regularly tops worst towns lists.

20 min commute to Manc sounds good. OP would just have to be sure that NLW is somewhere they would to to live.

Just remembered that Rick Astley is from NLW.

No worries schoolchoice, I only saw your post after i’d posted. No offence taken!

Rick is indeed from NLW the only claim to fame i think it has!

Though we did see Kylie at Haydock Race Course a couple of years ago, which was good and about £3 in the taxi to get there.

The other good thing about this area in general is the links to the lakes, to wales for nice outdoor weekend!

Also theres a train from NLW direct to Leeds which is a nice trip.

OP I’d reccomend getting a hotel in Warrington city centre for a night, in Stockton Heath, and in NLW and get a real feel

@Ginfilledcats thank you for so much information. There's a lot to think about. I will definitely stay a couple of nights when I come next month and see what it's like properly.

@Ginfilledcats the post code to the new builds in NLW is WA12 9jr. Is that a good area ? Thanks

@Ginfilledcats the reason I'm asking is because it close to Earlestown and I've heard that's not a good area ??

Thats more Earlestown end of Newton-Le-Willows. Its not the vulcan estate that I said to avoid. Its fine, but not really in the heart of NLW. Best to just drive around and have a look

It is the Earlestown end like a said, but much more on the outskirts of it. The houses on crow lane, which the estate is being built off, look like nice family semis. I dont count it as Earlestown (I’ll admit driving around Earlestown when we were looking put me off the whole area) but we’ve been in our house 5 years and love it. I go to mcdonalds and tescos in Earlestown and its fine.

@Ginfilledcats oh that makes me feel better, I heard Earlestown was an area to avoid as it's quite 'rough'. Where did you move from ?

Well yes its not exactly Kensington but its no worse (or not worse) than parts of London. Its like any town, theres a nicer more prestigious area than others. I wouldnt class the development youre looking at as Earlestown. Earlestown is more towards mcdonalds/tesco/Earlestown station.

I’m from Chester and husband from Leeds. We love going to museums, stately homes, bars and the theatres, as well as eating out and shopping. Theres an abundance of all of that within an hour, within half an hour even drive or train.

I have friends in London who think nothing of taking 2 hrs to get across the city to go for dinner or a party which I find insane!

Hello OP, I know Great Sankey very, very well it's a fab area of Warrington, if you'd like to PM me I'm very happy to answer and questions at all.

I grew up in Great Sankey and really wouldn't rate it - that said, the high school is ok, lots of people from there do well, but I'm sure there are better. I do, however, avoid going back to visit!

I'd say Lymm, Stockton Heath and Grappenhall are much nicer but more expensive than Sankey. Agree with the comments re Chapelford - lots of anti-social behaviour.

Warrington town centre is not very nice but if you're going into manchester/liverpool to shop/eat out you may not mind this.

I'm just very glad I left to go to uni at 18 and never returned!

@Ginfilledcats thanks I also think 1 hour and 20-3 mins to get across town is normal 🤦‍♀️it definitely a London thing.

@TokyoSushi that's fab thanks I think I may pm you later.

It's a dump, wouldn't be paid to live there tbh.
kerry Katona town.
Gt Sankey worst area.
There is a nicer road in Warrington, just the one though.
The town is awful.

I think a few years ago, Warrington was named the least cultured town in Britain. Which may or may not matter to you. But it is at least close to Liverpool and Manchester.

@Chovihano The whole town is not a dump - it's like anywhere, nice and not so nice parts. Bit of a harsh critique!

@Bookridden You are right....

www.theguardian.com/culture/shortcuts/2015/sep/23/warrington-doesnt-deserve-to-be-325th-on-the-list-of-uk-cultural-towns

And another positive article on our town in The Guardian from last year....

www.theguardian.com/money/2018/mar/30/lets-move-to-warrington-cheshire-property

I'm not from Warrington but am familiar with the area.
Objectively Gt Sankey is definitely not the worst area of Warrington; what a ridiculous thing to say! It's fairly leafy & appears suburban etc.
Whereas the areas along the A49 from Winwick Quay ? Orford/ Hulme along to the town centre appear to be quite drab/ a bit grim to the naked eye.

Have you thought about Chester?

I live in great Sankey. Your 20-30 minutes away from Liverpool and Manchester. Towns a bit crap tbh but we go to Manchester.
Chapelford has had some anti social behaviour recently but but nothing compared to other places. The kids drew some graffiti and a couple of personal disputes it's far from the bronx 😂
There's quite a lot of Indian families locally and the schools are a mix of different cultures.
There's also going to be a train station opening up in chapelford in the near future.