Macclesfield and the surrounding area
Macclesfield stands on the gateway to the Peak District which forms a dramatic backdrop to the town. It is a town which grew up around the silk industry, and this is reflected by the many mills and weavers cottages which are a feature of the town. It is now a thriving market town with a very mixed commercial economy and industrial areas bordering the town.
The proximity to Manchester has allowed the area to flourish and, even with the demise of the silk and textile industry over the last 20 years, has been able to sustain a good economic growth. There has been considerable property development over the last 5 years, both in new build and redevelopment of former mills and the old hospital site.
The area has a number of very good primary and secondary schools (including Kings School, a private school which features regularly in the top 100 UK schools).
Macclesfield has a developing café culture and several night clubs/bars. The town centre itself is about to undergo a major redevelopment (which will include open green areas, retail units, department store, restaurants and a multi-screen cinema) and major retailers, new to the town, have already reserved space in the new units, reflecting a confidence in the future prosperity of the area.
On the outskirts of Macclesfield, Prestbury and Alderley Edge are exclusive housing areas with excellent local authority and private schools. This makes these villages particularly desirable with the potential for above average rental incomes.
Wilmslow is also regarded as a highly desirable area to live, has the benefit of excellent rail links, proximity to Manchester and has correspondingly higher rentals than Macclesfield overall.
All of the towns in the area covered by Belvoir Macclesfield (SK9,SK10 and SK11 post code areas) benefit from excellent rail transport links to Manchester (approx 20 mins by train) or Birmingham (50mins). Improvements to the A34 have meant that commuting time by car to Manchester is 30-40mins from Macclesfield, 15-25 minutes from Wilmslow.
<