ROCHDALE RD TOWERS HOW MUCH TO RENT A FLAT? Manchester Building Boom + Editorials

[@AidanEyewitness]

In this video I continue to try out new ideas - giving rental prices of apartments, presenting two mini-editorials on topics off the main theme, plus a special message at the end concerning Stockport viaduct. Many thanks for your messages, as ever.

[@jamesbowert2526]

Architect working on Manchester City centre projects here. On your question about why so much brick and not much colour, it’s to do with the current head of MC council planning department. He has a very strong preference for brick and is known to basically shut down projects with materials that could ’spook’ the council. So after a few planning consultations we’ve decided to just follow his advice and go with brick for now, until he retires next year. So expect to see more colour in submissions from next year generally. (I would note however that I support the move to brick being the standard again to create more homogeny in the city)

[@AidanEyewitness]

It's great to hear from a working architect. I didn't know about that! I Kings and Kaisers could have an influence on the architecture of cities, or Baron Haussmann but not a guy working at the town hall not known by the public. I agree brick is important but brown is not the only colour! Many thanks for sharing this information.

[@IbrahimSowunmi]

The prices are very interesting information to add more context Aiden, continue adding them!

[@AidanEyewitness]

Many thanks for your feedback, along with others. That's it, I'm going to do it in every video from now on, where the informaiton is available.

[@DonnaRasmussen-q1y]

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy these videos! As an interior architect from Canada, soon to be relocating to Manchester, I am thrilled at the sheer volume of new construction and the high quality of the new buildings. I very much like the mention of rental costs, as I will be living in one of these high-rise towers in the coming months!

[@AidanEyewitness]

Very glad to hear that, many thanks! The amount of construction is unprecedented and it looks like it will continue like this. Hope you have a nice time in Manchester. Please comment on your accommodation in a future video, I'll be featuring all the main projects, with information on rents / prices.

[@jeremycollins2694]

I’m a Mancunian who has lived in London for 35 years and really appreciate these videos. I loved the new colour and insignia for the buses when I saw them last time I was up. Makes such a difference to the quality of life when someone gives some thought to how things look. At least in terms of looks, Manchester has the buses it deserves.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I think you are absolutely right. I'm very glad to see the yellow buses, having lived through red and cream, green, blue, orange and white, orange and brown, blue, orange and white and now, finally yellow!

[@tomwyer7319]

me and my friends are big fans adrian! as renters in manchester we like the inclusion of rental prices in the videos! keep it up son!

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@tomwyer7319 okay great that’s what I want to hear. Very pleased to hear you are fans of Aidan aka AIDAN Eyewitness!

[@tomwyer7319]

@ i’m so sorry i know you’re aidan, big love aidan

[@twonkdipper6821]

I like your videos because you’re a real person! Haha

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I can confirm I am a sentient biological entity of the genus KZbinr Sapiens, not a bot!

[@inspirationalaries]

Love your videos, thank you for taking the time and all of the effort to make them, it's much appreciated.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks very much for your positive comment! Much appreciated also!

[@redmed10]

Those rental prices are ridiculous.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I find them expensive but as long as there are people prepared to pay those rents, they will continue to charge them!

[@nicolaspadula9791]

I liked the sprinkles of editorial with the inclusion of rent prices. I think it helps me situate how fair my rent is, as I know how far it is from the places being mentioned.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, it can be interesting to hear about rents whether 200 or 20,000 pounds per month! I think there are a few in the latter category in Manchester!

[@Kenners.]

Another fabulous video Aidan, just a curious question, have you got any really old video recordings from 70s and 80s, id love to see some of the old places from back then. Top work!! :)

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thank you very much for your kind comment. I don't personally have any video from those times. I didn't have a video camera till later and made a couple of recordings but I have no idea where the videocassettes went to. It can be difficult to find old footage of Manchester and that I am able to use for rights reasons. I must enquire about that.

[@JohnnyZenith]

Excellent as always.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks for your positive comments, as always!

[@michaeldonaghy5685]

I always enjoy your vids and narration. Yes, please do show more interiors and prices. I think it gives the full picture then and you can really see what's out there if you do want to live in the city. A lot of the more interesting apartments seem to be in the city centre, contrary to what I might have expected (I do a lot of browsing!). It would be nice to see any that have something a little bit different to them.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Many thanks for your feedback, yes I am looking forward to visiting these developments and taking photos from the upper floors! Many thanks for your positive words!

[@heinkle1]

Good to see some actual investment in Manchester

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, there's plenty of investment going in nowadays.

[@cookiefacefartblast1685]

I'd like to know where all these new residents are? Doctors,schools supermarkets and especially pubs? Is council tax paid on unoccupied properties?

[@AidanEyewitness]

There are plenty of residents, with schools and supermarkets not far away. Most of the new towers have lots of people living in them. As far as I know, if no one is living in a property, then no council tax is payable. Thanks for your comment.

[@ThisCharminManc]

I’ve always loved the flat iron building and was worried it would be knocked down, so happy to discover its being used 🙌🏼

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I've always been a bit intrigued by it and couldn't figure out what it was being used for in recent times. Now I know, having searched for it!

[@trishanunn8629]

Yes to pricing and interiors where possible. Thank you. Love Circle Square Manchester we drop in to 'North' or one of the eateries round there on our way to gigs at YES to watch live music.

[@markmartinbattle5318]

o yes loved the modern take on brick work very nice .

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, it looks great!

[@JT-nr2ss]

7:45 really cool that you pointed out that 22 Lever St was never cleaned, I assumed they all got done at some point or another. Shocking to think how polluted the city must have been by the factories and early motorcars a century ago that they turned the buildings black!

[@AidanEyewitness]

Well it was quite polluted up to around the early 70s. If you went out with a white shirt, your collar would be black by the end of the day because of the soot in the air. The only other place where the building was left uncleaned is the central courtyard of the town hall. Maybe they've cleaned that with the renovation. Many thanks!

[@simoncurl4504]

I've only been to Manchester once.... in 1978, er, it's changed somewhat! Very interesting city, i must visit again.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Ah yes, there have been a few changes since 1978! It's much more modern now, but in some ways it was much more characterful then. You definitely need to visit!

[@colinmccaffery5353]

Very interesting to hear the rental prices please do more of this, thanks

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks to you and others for expressing your interest. It will be an itegral part of the videos from now on - assuming the information on rental and prices is available.

[@SRParsonage]

I see Oxford Road train station is to close for a big revamp. Anything to improve the castlefield corridor is welcome especially as piccadilly upgrades were binned.

[@johnburns4017]

It needs a one mile tunnel parallelling the corridor.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, it was very disappointing that nothing came of the upgrade, due to goverment mess ups and other reasons. Shame it has to be for two years. Renovations seem to take a lot longer nowadays. 3 years for the Central Library, up to 8 years for the town hall.

[@AidanEyewitness]

If only the Picc Vic tunnel could have been built in the 1970s. That's would be a good subject to look at.

[@johnburns4017]

@@AidanEyewitness The Picc-Vic would have been a good addition to trams. On the Continent some cities have trams that run underground when reaching the centre, then back up to street level. But when the Picc-Vic was planned trams were not thought of as most cities had got rid of them 20 years previously. Trams were out of fashion. In Liverpool they built a link line that linked the _dedicated_ urban lines from Gatacre to Central station and Exchange station to Southport/Ormskirk/Kirkby. This created the Merseyrail Northern Line which is a north-south crossrail line. Unlike in Manchester these were dedicated urban lines, which was not the case in the lines either side of Picc-Vic tunnel. Also, the Picc-Vic tunnel had far too many stations in it. It would have been better to have installed tarvellator they were so close. Merseyrail removed *_three_* expensive to maintain, surface level, large, mainline terminal stations saving long term running expenses. This left one large terminal station, Lime St. Most of the region were given access to Lime St by urban lines, as well as a comprehensive metro thrown in by default. Picc-Vic was doing no such thing. If the Picc-Vic replaced Victoria as a mainline terminal station making it a small thru station the DfT may have given the nod. All they had to do was emulate what Merseyrail were doing as much as possible. Beeching wanted the well used Liverpool to Southport electric urban line binned. Liverpool had other ideas, however saw what the DfT wanted which was the removal of expensive to run large terminal stations. They put a plan together which the DfT accepted. Merseyrail was extended to Chester which gave the network access to two mainline terminal stations and to a lesser extent a terminal at Southport.

[@tomforsey]

If colour is what you like then you definitely need to check out Wirral waters of you haven’t already. Also think it’s a good addition including the prices

[@AidanEyewitness]

You mean the Millers Quay residential blocks. I photographed them last week and will include them in an upcoming video. I think they look great!

[@tomforsey]

@@AidanEyewitness that’s what I was thinking of, you are one step ahead of me! I look forward to watching the video

[@sarahcollins7220]

Very interesting Aidan

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks, nice to hear from you! 😊

[@AGgames-t1x]

grate housing for pepule but its but its for wealthiest not social all well and good building all thies but its for rich investors

[@AidanEyewitness]

That’s a fair point. Manchester City Council are also trying to create housing at affordable prices. Thanks for your comment.

[@vélociti-001]

​@@AidanEyewitnessAre they? Where are they trying to do that in town?

[@johnburns4017]

Great vid. I love new design and shape and colour and enough of it here. But I think they got this wrong: 7:59 😊

[@AidanEyewitness]

You mean Skyline Central. That is an 'old' building, from around 2007. I don't think they would build it like that now.

[@johnburns4017]

@ The glass bit sticking out looks like an after thought. But in 20 years time I am sure it will be viewed quite differently. Different generations view matters differently.

[@mallaka8]

I rented in Skyline not long after it was built. It was full of drug dealers. Couldn't wait to move out.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Oh dear. Hopefully not nowadays!

[@vélociti-001]

What kind of drug dealers? Did you ever find out how all of them bypass the (legal / provable) income requirements and referencing needed? Or was Skyline just properly chilled out about the onerous bureaucracy and credit referencing that seems to be necessary in every other flat or house rental everywhere else in Manchester and also everywhere else outside of Manchester? Just seems a bit unlikely, that's all...

[@gohumberto]

0:24 Standing where L.S. Lowry stood 62 years ago. Shame about that high-rise dominating that famous view of the viaduct... but Stockport Town Planners never did treat the town with any respect.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I'm glad you got that reference, it was part of the reason why I stood at the top of the steps rather than on the bridge. I like to say I'm following in the footsteps of Lowry, but in my own way, using video and carefully written scripts. As for Stockport town planners... well that's another story!

[@petersheridan2993]

Quite a few developments are being marketed overseas as high-return investments with Guaranteed rents for some years! The crunch comes when investors try to sell?? What then.

[@AidanEyewitness]

That depends on the property market in a few years. You hope your investment will go up in value but it may go down. I don’t have a crystal ball!

[@jamesdean1143]

Who can afford those prices ? I have no idea how ordinary people manage to survive.

[@redmed10]

They don't.

[@AidanEyewitness]

There are plenty of people on above average salaries who are prepared to pay them but even for them it’s a large chunk of their monthly income.

[@vélociti-001]

Londoners who can't afford London, apparently. What they all do? No idea tbh. They can't all work for the BBC, can they? It would be interesting to know what they do, if anything. Nothing other than bump up prices if they're gentrifiers with their parents' free money, probably.

[@davdep]

What would really bring Manchester alive is if shops stayed open until 10pm just like they do in other countries.

[@AidanEyewitness]

That depends on lawmakers in Westminster. In the Middle East, the shops stay open till 10 or later seven days a week. They stay open later at the Trafford Centre.

[@vélociti-001]

​@@AidanEyewitnessThe Middle East has a slightly different climate to Manchester and tends to be a bit warmer than Manchester in the daytime and cooler and less intolerable in the evenings up to, say, 10pm-ish then they go to bed like most other places.

[@vélociti-001]

It's not really very busy in Manchester in the evenings, if you've noticed at all. Not busy at all, in fact. You might have thought the thoroughly modern apartments and the hip and trendy and awesome people and failed Londoners who live in them would spark the city centre into a hive of creativity and economic activity triggering a new era in cosmopolitan living and stuff that would make it worthwhile opening shops that don't just sell an addictive recreational drug but it just doesn't seem to have happened for some bizarre reason. It's because the rents are so high they don't have very much disposable income isn't it unless they're just empty flats bought as assets by foreign investors or are owned by gentrifiers with their parents' free money who do have more disposable income and do spend more than if you have to pay rent but not everyone can be a gentrifier because if everyone in a society was a gentrifier with their parents' free money that society would collapse relatively quickly in a generation or so rather than collapsing relatively slowly as Britain and therefore Manchester is collapsing in terms of being a viable, sustainable or desirable society that can or would want to live in, I think.

[@vélociti-001]

If it needs to be brought to life does that mean it's dead right now? It is deathly quiet in town a lot of time even with all the new residents in town. Shop need shoppers or they just close. Or don't open. Weird that.

[@davdep]

@@vélociti-001 The problem with Manchester is the population density is still very low compared to other cities around the world, they just need to keep building more apartments to get the city centre density higher and things will change.

[@andrewsteele1819]

The new buses look awful ....yellow is not a good colour in such a dirty wet city as Manchester !

[@AidanEyewitness]

Not at all! Yellow is a great colour. Manchester is not dirty (except for a few areas) and it is no wetter than most cities. Cardiff is the wettest city in Great Britain, and somewhere in the Lake District is the wettest spot.

[@domtaylor2271]

They aren't snazzy like the London new-routemaster but perfect cannot be the enemy of the good. I'm glad for what they mean functionally, if less thrilled aesthetically

[@vélociti-001]

It's called the Bee Network as per the mascot of Manchester. Bees are yellow and black. The buses are therefore.... yellow. And black. Because bees are. To say whatever colour is good, bad, brilliant, fantastic etc is an inane and meaningless comment and is merely your subjective and uneducated view. Nobody cares what you think about any colour and rightly so. To attribute descriptive terms such as awful to a colour is not an intelligent pursuit and a pointless waste of time. Think about it a bit more. For example, let's say there is a room full of people. 1000 people for argument's sake. They're asked "Which colour is the awful colour out of all the conceivable and theoretical colours (colour theory is a thing btw - that's not part of the question we're asking 1000 people)? Are they all going to say "It's yellow!! Yellow is just awful!!". No. That's not what would happen if we take the time to think about it a bit more, be honest with ourselves and stop writing pointless stupid opinions that the world just does not need to know. You don't have to vocalise or transcribe every thought that comes into your head. I used to work with one of those people. They would just say every stupid thing that came into their head. It was annoying. And unnecessary.

[@jasongray4517]

Not including television licences? Gosh. I had no idea people living in flats ever bothered with a tv licence. I'll have to think about getting one...

[@AidanEyewitness]

As that old ad used to warn people "Watch out! The TV detector vans are in your area!"

[@vélociti-001]

​@@AidanEyewitnessYou don't have to let them in your property. They don't have the legal authority to force entry and inspect tv licences. Not everyone is aware of that.

[@MZig-rw7su]

Is it safe in that town for children?

[@AidanEyewitness]

If you're talking about Manchester in general, well it's no less safe than in other British cities and a lot safer than certain cities in other countries I could mention. We have brought up a child in Manchester and never had any problems.

[@IanBanks-p1p]

No it isn't as all the authorities here have , for decades , deliberately ignored the targeted mass rape , abuse and destruction of our white children by brown skinned muslims, whilst at the same time saying that nothing is happening and that it is all " far right lies and racism " . Do not forget thst the maker of this channel is also a leftwinger socialist, so obviously he has ignored the utterly central point in his reply to you . And your child will also be taught that if he or she is white then they are irretrevably racist and privileged purely because they are white . That is the reality of life here.

[@IanBanks-p1p]

I did send you a post warning you about the dangers of raising children here ,especially if they are white- but it has been removed . I also criticised the lies about the still rubbish and still racist bus service in North Manchester . I also mentioned that the site creater is a socialist . That is how it is here . Complain about leftness , their racism and you are cancelled . And you will also probably get a visit from the KGB style police we have these days investigating you and prosecuting you for thought crimes and non-criminal hate incidents .

[@BsktImp]

The 'Collyhurst Village' looks nightmarish.

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@BsktImp Why do you say that? Have you looked at the visualisations of the completed district? www.collyhurstvillage.co.uk/

[@BsktImp]

@@AidanEyewitness Reminiscent of Soviet era blocks in eastern Europe (that's not to say the Khrushchyovkas and the like were without their good points!). BTW, prices are £269,995 (2b2b) - £399,995 (4b2b).

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@BsktImp Well that's a very stern appraisal. I've been in many Soviet era Plattenbau blocks in my old stomping ground of East Germany. Hmmm, that could be interesting to compare in a video. Many thanks!

[@BsktImp]

@@AidanEyewitness I'm just thinking ahead in 10 years, when the owners have let (and their tenants sublet!) and upgraded, with the inevitble and, dare I say, perfectly understandable rot sets in. It will look awful.

[@AidanEyewitness]

@ We’ll have to wait and see. You could be right.

[@anarchodandyist]

We are reaching peak gentrification of Manchester. ‘Victoria North’ = Miles Platting.

[@johncasey-e1d]

You mentioned Ken Jones, I think he could be my uncle. If that is so I believe he has recently Passed away.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. Very quiet and thoughtful with great descriptive powers. His description of the area around Chase Street, off Roger Street between the viaducts, is very vivid. His mother grew up there, I'm not sure if he did.

[@dudejames5681]

Walk, cycle, enjoy..

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, that's what I like to do!

[@MarpleSteve]

Why do you think they want so many people renting in GM apartment blocks? Is this the Smart City agenda?

[@AidanEyewitness]

I don’t think so. It’s just that the market has changed, more people want to rent nowadays.

[@inspirationalaries]

Because ordinary working people have been successively priced out of the market to buy anything ever due to wage depression in real terms, devaluation of the currency and massive inward investment in property developments by foreign consortiums that has only been exacerbated following lockdown. The red flag is the tagline "built for renters". Funny how there isn't a tagline used in common parlance that states "built for buyers".

[@n-u-k-e-d]

@@AidanEyewitness alas, I think you have "want" confused with "have"

[@vélociti-001]

​@@AidanEyewitnessreally? Don't think so mate. Nobody "wants to rent". Almost nobody.

[@ManchesterBlue1894]

Manchester is becoming a rich man's playground

[@mallaka8]

I loved up to Manchester from London in 1998 when I did my degree. I decided to stay as I loved Manchester so much and couldn't afford to live in London. By 2016 I could see the way Manchester was going and I was right. It was losing all it's identity to some bland corporate copy and paste. Some see it as progress but I feel the soul has been drained out of the city. I moved out for good in 2018.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I'm sure most residents from further up Rochdale Road in Collyhurst and Harpurhey would not be able to afford those rents.

[@johnburns4017]

@@mallaka8 In Manchester previously not enough design and colour was put into the blocks. Many are just bland glass or concrete any-city towers. Many people in Liverpool point to Manchester saying we do not want that here. I see this vid displays they are moving to some new ideas. Encouraging.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I think it's okay, it still has character and attitude, though different from how it was in the past.

[@rinkydinkmcruk]

@@johnburns4017Liverpool is not in the same league as Manchester. Not even close 😂

[@pippin9466]

Funny how just a few years back all this was only car parks and old vacant buildings

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes it was, it was derelict for many years. There's been a long gap between industrial demise and new development.

[@pippin9466]

@ i’m very glad that Manchester has returned to it’s former glory

[@heartofoak45]

The concept of mixing social housing with the private sector has never and will never work. The social housing drags down the value of the private sector. On the whole the private sector is far better maintained because the owners have equity in the property. Re-visit this Collyhurst Village in forty years time and the social housing will be a slum with no one wishing to live there. It is impossible to escape the facts of life.

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@heartofoak45 Interesting points and a good topic to look into. Many thanks.

[@supersuede91]

@AidanEyewitness And yes love the prices of accommodation being mentioned, good idea.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks, I will be doing that from now on. Many thanks!

[@supersuede91]

@AidanEyewitness I always watch these

[@AidanEyewitness]

Many thanks for watching!