CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION - ASHFORD, KENT - BATH, SOMERSET - BECKENHAM, KENT - BEDFORD, BEDFORDSHIRE - BILLERICAY, ESSEX - BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM - BOURNEMOUTH, SUSSEX - BRENTWOOD, ESSEX - BRIGHTON, SUSSEX - CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - CANTERBURY, KENT - CARDIFF, WALES - CHELMSFORD, ESSEX - CLEETHORPES, LINCOLNSHIRE - COLCHESTER, ESSEX - EPPING, ESSEX - GRANTHAM, LINCOLNSHIRE - GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK - GUILDFORD, SURREY - IPSWICH, SUFFOLK - KETTERING, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE - KINGS LYNN, NORFOLK - LEICESTER, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE - LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE, LANCASHIRE - LUTON, BEDFORDSHIRE - MANCHESTER, LANCASHIRE - MILTON KEYNES, BEDFORDSHIRE - NORWICH, NORFOLK - OXFORD, OXFORDSHIRE - PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - READING, BERKSHIRE - ROMFORD, ESSEX - SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, ESSEX - ST ALBANS, HERTFORDSHIRE - STANSTED, ESSEX - SWINDON, BERKSHIRE - WELWYN GARDEN CITY, HERTFORDSHIRE - WISBECH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
| Area: | WELWYN GARDEN CITY, HERTFORDSHIRE | |||||||
| Category: | C | |||||||
| Investor Profile | Pension, Business and Cash&Equity | |||||||
| Population aged 15+: | 43,257 | |||||||
| Actual | National Average | |||||||
| Percentage Class ABC1: | 53% | 44% | ||||||
| Crime: | Violence | Sexual | Burglary | Motor | ||||
| Per 1000 population | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4 | ||||
| Yield Range: | 3.7% - 7.5% | |||||||
| Price Ranges | Low £ | Hi £ | Low £pw | Hi £pw | Low | Hi | ||
| Flats&maisonettes | 85,600 | 128,400 | 123 | 166 | 6.7% | 7.5% | ||
| Terraced | 116,800 | 175,200 | 127 | 172 | 5.1% | 5.7% | ||
| Semi-detached | 140,000 | 210,000 | 138 | 187 | 4.6% | 5.1% | ||
| Detached | 224,800 | 337,200 | 179 | 242 | 3.7% | 4.1% | ||
| Valuations above the national average by: | 27% | |||||||
| Actual | National Average | |||||||
| Capital growth last 12 months: | 23% | 18% | ||||||
| Capital growth last 4 years: | 84% | 74% | ||||||
| Large employers in the area: | SmithKline Beecham, Roche, Schering Plough, UCB Films, Stafford Miller, Sika, Catomance and Serono Laboratories | |||||||
| Demand For Letting: | Excellent | |||||||
| Average void period: | 1 week | |||||||
| Total (out of 10) | Capital Growth (out of 5) | Yield (out of 5) | ||||||
| Out of 10: | 6 | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Summary: | A growing affluent area with low unemployment – a safe bet. | |||||||
| Description: | When I trained as an accountant I used to do an audit here and I was always so impressed with the whole vibe of the area. The shopping centre is well spaced out – the outside square for the whole town cente probably covers around 22,500sqm with various roads leading off it. WGC is definitely affluent and you can tell this from the shops. There is the usual John Lewis and Marks & Spencers but also your niche boutiques and your customary Waitrose Supermarket – the choice for any self-respecting middle class person. Welwyn Garden City’s history as a garden city and Hatfield’s position as a New Town means that businesses have been housed in well thought-of and easily reached locations. Welwyn Garden City is not far from London, and is crossed by the A1M and M25. Rail links to London and Cambridge are superb, and the area is close to both Luton and Stansted airports. The number of businesses and number of people employed in the district are growing rapidly. The business areas are well-planned and thus continue to attract new busiensses. In 1997 there were 3,600 businesses, compared to 2,100 in 1991. During this period the number of businesses grew faster in WGC than in the country as a whole - 69% compared to 53%. In 1997 51,000 people were employed in Welwyn Hatfield Area, compared to 43,000 in 1991. Employment growth was faster than the county average, 19% in Welwyn Hatfield compared to 11% in Hertfordshire itself. The service sector has created more jobs than any other; financial and business services employed an additional 6,000 people in this period and is now the largest sector in the area. Financial and business services have a higher concentration in the district than in Great Britain as a whole. They comprise mainly small companies and professional firms and branches of large financial institutions, such as banks. Other significant sectors with a high concentration in Welwyn Hatfield include manufacturing of chemicals, manufacturing of medical, precision instruments, etc., computing and related activities and other business activities. Welwyn Hatfield has a higher concentration of high-tech sectors than the regional and county averages, although the numbers employed are relatively small and are dominated by the pharmaceuticals industry. Healthcare companies have played a leading role in the manufacturing history of Welwyn Garden City. The first major healthcare firm to locate here was Roche Products in 1937. Pharmaceutical company Schering-Plough and Vega the software and systems engineering group have moved into WGC in recent years and are based at the Shire Park Business Park. Other large companies based in Welwyn Garden City include Rank Xerox who opened a multi million pound technical centre in Bessemer Road in 1995 the first of its kind in the UK. | |||||||
| Mainline railway station: | 30 minutes to London Kings Cross 45-50 minutes to Moorgate, London | |||||||
| Road Access: | Main access A1(M) & A414 28 miles north of Central London 1 mile from A1(M) | |||||||
| Local Newspaper | Welwyn & Hatfield Times 01727 866166 | |||||||
| Estate Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | ||||
| Wrights | 36 Stonehills Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6PD | 01707 332211 | www.teamprop.co.uk | |||||
| Country Properties | 3 Bridge Road Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6UN | 01707 339146 | www.greenrosenetwork.co.uk | |||||
| Ashtons Estate Agents | 33 Wigmores North Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6PG | 01707 331100 | ||||||
| Haart | 23 Stonehills Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6NA | 01707 322222 | ||||||
| Putterills of Hertfordshire | 34 Wigmores North Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 6PH | 01707 393333 | ||||||
| Letting Agents: | Name | Address | Tel | Web | ||||
| Halcyon House Management | 43, High St Welwyn Hertfordshire AL6 9EE | 01438 712712 | www.halcyonhouse.com | |||||