Slick city's home wins

MANCHESTER'S football teams might not be doing as well as expected at the moment but it continues to have one of the UK's strongest property markets, thanks to being Britain's biggest financial sector outside London and home to more than 10,000 digital and tech businesses such as Google, Microsoft and IBM.

- By Deborah Stone

Property prices have rocketed over the past two decades, boosted by the BBC's 2011 move to MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, and prices are predicted to continue rising despite the slowdown in interest rate reductions and lowering of Stamp Duty thresholds from April 1.

Last year Manchester City Council approved plans for MediaCityUK Phase 2, which will mean 3,000 new homes in Salford as well as substantial commercial space and leisure facilities inspired by waterfront developments such as Australia's Darling Harbour and Norway's Oslo Fjord City.

In fact, the city is awash with regeneration projects. These include NOMA - short for North and Manchester - a 20-acre redevelopment scheme near Manchester Victoria station that will complete in 2029, creating up to 6,000 jobs.