Residents of a market town popular with Premier League stars and millionaires say it has become ‘socially divided’ – with their wealthy neighbors living a champagne lifestyle as they struggle to make ends meet.
Knutsford, in Cheshire, boasts chic bars, restaurants and boutiques and is set in beautiful countryside with the historic 1,000-acre National Trust Tatton Park estate – popular with visitors – right on the doorstep.
Unsurprisingly, its posh status has attracted the rich and famous who have bought up expensive properties in the area.
But new research by credit experts Buzz Capital has revealed that Knutsford is now the least affordable place to live in the county, known for its ‘Golden Triangle’ of prosperous small towns and villages.
The average salary in the city is £40,600, while the average house price last year was £618,694.
Residents of a market town popular with Premier League stars and millionaires say it has become ‘socially divided’
New research by credit experts Buzz Capital has revealed that Knutsford is now the least affordable place to live in the county.
Amanda Gamble, 42, has said the estate is a very friendly place but there is a lot of snobbery from Knutford’s wealthier people
The average salary is therefore only 6.6 percent of the average house price.
For residents of Longridge, on the outskirts of the city, the sense of division between the haves and the have-nots is nothing new.
The surplus estate was built to house families from Manchester following the slum clearance in the 1960s.
The newcomers were not exactly welcomed with open arms by middle-class Knutsford who, according to one early tenant, regarded the Longridge people as ‘scum’ and the estate, built on an old point, was baptized ‘Ratridge’.
Decades later, the estate’s residents still feel disconnected from the rest of the city and their ‘snobbish’ neighbors, and retain a strong sense of community.
Boasting chic bars, restaurants and boutiques, Knutford is set in beautiful countryside with the historic 1,000-acre National Trust Tatton Park estate right on its doorstep
Its posh status has attracted the rich and famous who have purchased expensive properties in the area
The average salary in the city is £40,600, while the average house price last year was £618,694
The city center with chic shops and bars and 4x4s and other expensive cars parked there
Amanda Gamble, 42, describes it as a ‘very friendly’ place to live where ‘everyone looks out for each other’, but she minces no words when describing the wealthier people of Knutsford.
“There’s a lot of snobbery,” she said.
‘A lot of people look down on us.
“I went into town the other day and a woman gave me a really dirty look.”
Many shops in the city are simply ‘too expensive’ and for groceries she only goes to thrift stores and Aldi.
It is understood that residents of the estate had to fight to get an ‘affordable’ supermarket in the town, while other townspeople, who preferred to do their shopping at Waitrose or Booths, opposed this.
Amanda wishes other services were more readily available, such as a local pharmacy, and believes more should be done for the young people of Longridge.
The surplus estate, Longridge, was built to house families from Manchester after the slum clearances in the 1960s.
A row of shops on the Longridge estate, which locals have nicknamed ‘Rat-ridge’
Father and son David and Stephen McDonald (pictured) joke about how some townspeople have dubbed it ‘The Stretcher Bearer’ due to a misplaced perception that it isn’t the most welcoming of pubs
Mother-of-two Eloise Reed, 29, says Knutsford is great if you like to frequent many of the expensive restaurants and bars.
“It’s just so expensive,” she said.
‘There’s nothing for me.
“And I feel like some people look down on me a little bit because of where I come from.
‘If I want to go somewhere I go to Manchester because there’s a lot more to do.
“None of my friends ever want to come here.”
She added that it was a “beautiful place” but a lack of public transport meant she often had to take a taxi when she wanted to go somewhere.
No one is more aware of the issues facing Longridge residents than Nick Sherburn, CEO of The Welcome community centre.
Nick, 36, points out that some of the original social housing bought under the right to buy scheme has ended up in the hands of private landlords who have increased rents, although around 380 homes are managed by social housing provider Great Places.
The newcomers were not exactly welcomed with open arms by middle-class Knutsford, who, according to one early tenant, regarded the Longridge people as ‘scum’.
Residents of the estate had to fight to get an ‘affordable’ supermarket in the city, while other city dwellers, who preferred to do their shopping at Waitrose or Booths, opposed this.
Knutsford town center just a few minutes away
He said some families are struggling to make ends meet – collectively earning well below the average Knutsford salary – and are finding it difficult to find a job without their own transport.
“There are a lot of social and cultural issues here that date back to the 1960s,” he added.
‘Residents can sometimes experience a feeling of isolation.
‘There are also not many opportunities for young people who can create an isolated attitude because they do not see a path for themselves in the future.
‘It can lead to other problems such as drug and alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour.’
Research he has carried out shows Longridge and the nearby Shaw Heath area scored 29.3 on the multiple deprivation index, compared to the average for the rest of Knutsford of 7.2.
As many as 70 families use charity The Bread and Butter Thing’s weekly food bank, where for £8.50 they can buy three carrier bags of food and fresh fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste.
A food bank also operates from St Cross Church.
A large part of The Welcome’s work consists of offering support and advice to local residents.
A success story is Anouska Shirley, who set up her Hairpod hairdressing business with their help.
Mother-of-two Eloise Reed, 29, with son Brody, 2, and Amanda Gamble, 42, from The Welcome community hub on the Longridge Council Estate
No one is more aware of the issues facing Longridge residents than Nick Sherburn (pictured), CEO of The Welcome community centre
Anouska, 47, said she is “passionate” about helping to bridge the social divide in Knutsford.
“All my services are at least 30 percent cheaper than what you find in the salons around town,” she said.
‘I have been able to build up a loyal customer list and I also specialize in Afro hair.’
Meanwhile, at the estate’s Falcon Bearer Pub, drinkers can enjoy the ‘cheapest pint in Knutsford’, according to pub manager Clare Taylor, with a pint of lager £3.40 and a pint of bitter £2.50.
Father and son David and Stephen McDonald joke that some townspeople have dubbed it ‘The Stretcher Bearer’ due to the misplaced perception that it isn’t the most welcoming of pubs.
Plumber Stephen, 64, who moved from Manchester to Longridge with his family at the age of seven, said: ‘Longridge has a bad reputation for some reason.
‘But to be honest, it’s not too bad.
“It has its problems, but I love living here and 95 percent of the people are great.”