Goole property prices soar by 157 per cent

JUST 15 years ago, Goole was branded the drug capital of the north.

But it is fast becoming one of the most desirable places to live in the country.

Now, the town has topped the house price rise table in Yorkshire and the Humber.

In the past 10 years, there has been a 157 per cent increase in average prices in Goole.

And the region itself has seen the biggest rise in the country, with an average rise of 130 per cent.

The figures are included in a detailed report, published by Halifax.

Karen Hammond bought her house in Goole in 2002 for £76,000. It is now worth more than £135,000.

The mother-of-two said: "I have always lived in Goole, but we bought our current house in 2002.

"We recently had it valued because we were looking to move into a four-bedroom property.

"We applied for a new build, but they were all snapped up quickly. We decided to stay put because I don't want to move out of the area.

"We are pleased to see the value of our house increase and I am pleasantly surprised by how much it has risen.

"I did not realise Goole was so popular.

"But there has been a lot of investment and jobs have been created.

"The town has had a bad name in the past, but now its reputation is steadily improving and that's down to the people living here."

According to the report, the average cost of a house in Goole was £52,484 in 1999.

Today, it is £134,945.

And the rest of the region shows a similar picture.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, the average cost increased from £55,574 to £127,852.

Claire Linley, branch manager at Screetons estate agents in Boothferry Road, Goole, said she is not surprised by the increase.

She said: "The location is good for the M62 corridor and there has been a lot of investment with the development of the Capital Park industrial estate, with Guardian Glass and the Tesco distribution centre creating jobs.

"This has attracted investors to buy properties in the area for migrant workers.

"Traditionally, Goole has been a low-priced area, compared with some of the surrounding villages.

"It is good to see people moving into Goole and raising its profile."

Goole town councillor Pat O'Neil said she was delighted with the report's findings. She said: "The house price increases reflect the economic upturn in Goole over the past 10 years.

"This is good news for the people of Goole. The town was billed as the drug capital of the north 15 years ago so it's great to see people are finding out it's a good place to live."

Driffield has also seen a huge increase in average house prices, with a 141 per cent rise from £60,967 to £147,161.

Simon Dee MRICS, a partner with Dee, Atkinson and Harrison estate agents in Market Place, said: "Driffield is a very nice place to live, but has not seen the same amount of expansion as other areas. This means it has become a supply and demand issue.

"Another attraction is the base level of house prices were so low to start with and it remains cheaper than a lot of other nearby areas.

"We have to be cautious with national statistics, which do not always take everything into account.

"But this can only be good news for Driffield, putting it on the map as a desirable place to live."

Redruth in Cornwall saw the biggest price jump at 207 per cent, followed by Penzance, also in Cornwall, at 188 per cent.

At the other end of the scale, price growth was slowest in London during the decade, with the average cost of a property rising by 80 per cent to £255,473, followed by the South East at 85 per cent.

Across the UK, house prices rose by an average of 105 per cent during the 10 years, the biggest increase in real terms seen during any decade in the past 50 years.

Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said: "The noughties was a significant decade for house prices.

"The majority of towns that experienced the strongest price growth began the decade with lower-than-average property prices, which provided the platform for bigger price gains.

"Seaside towns fared particularly well as the attraction of having a home on the coast helped to boost demand."