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Besses

Interactive map displaying Besses

About

Besses ward sits in the northwest of the Bury metropolitan borough, primarily encompassing the residential districts of Whitefield and Unsworth. The area is characterised by a mix of housing types, from interwar semis to more modern developments, alongside local shopping parades catering to daily needs. Its transport links are defined by the heavy rail line running through Whitefield station, providing a direct connection to Manchester city centre.

A notable local landmark is the former Besses o' th' Barn bandstand, a structure reflecting the area's historical association with one of the world's oldest brass bands. Green space is provided by Philips Park and the open fields bordering the Rochdale Canal, which traces the ward's western edge. The community is served by several primary schools and a larger secondary academy, anchoring the area as a settled suburban locality.

Area overview

On average Besses has high deprivation and average crime levels, with around 102 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, in line with the North West average of 109 per 1,000. Approximately 27.6% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Besses is £44,565 per year. There are 4 schools in Besses: 4 primary (0 Outstanding and 1 Good) and 0 secondary (0 Outstanding and 0 Good). Besses is home to around 11,076 people, with a population density of about 4,353.7 per km².

Crime rate
6/10
Crimes per 1k residents
102
Deprivation level
7/10
Income level
5/10
Social housing
27.6%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

Besses Population
11,076
Population density
4,353.7 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
45.05(+21%)
Anti-social behaviour
24.2(+35%)
Criminal damage and arson
13.81(+54%)
Public order
13.27(+31%)
Burglary
9.12(+65%)
North West average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
8,472
76.47%
Other White
507
4.58%
Pakistani
363
3.28%
African
301
2.72%
Irish
173
1.56%
Total population: 11,079

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4 qualifications or above
2,633
30.29%
No qualifications
1,611
18.53%
Level 3 (A level)
1,512
17.39%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
1,329
15.29%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
894
10.28%
Total 16+ residents: 8,694

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns with a mortgage
1,397
30.17%
Owns outright
1,308
28.25%
Other social rented
802
17.32%
Private landlord or letting agency
674
14.56%
Social rents from council
364
7.86%
Total households: 4,630

Property prices in Besses

Median price£250,000
Price per sq ft£297
Sales (last 12 months)108
Typical range (middle 50%)£197K – £305K

Based on 108 recent sales, the median property price is £250,000 (about £297 per square foot) in Besses area, with individual transactions ranging from £87,000 up to £465,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Besses over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached10£337,500£332
Semi-Detached43£286,000£321
Terraced48£210,500£260
Flats7£153,000£212

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Besses

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Besses.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£208,500£145,975£152,500£123,550
2017£230,748£135,000£162,000£126,675
2018£246,875£120,000£178,500£131,500
2019£247,500£94,750£184,000£145,000
2020£278,000£105,000£196,000£139,000
2021£292,000£146,000£223,750£166,000
2022£336,000£127,500£249,500£195,500
2023£375,000£127,500£247,000£190,000
2024£361,500£130,500£266,000£195,000
2025£315,000£138,125£280,000£220,000
2026£363,000£162,000£244,000£210,000
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Besses.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Besses.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£259£197£178£140
2017£206£193£182£158
2018£224£174£199£161
2019£216£149£207£175
2020£247£161£223£169
2021£277£189£257£204
2022£308£207£268£229
2023£313£210£271£229
2024£325£210£284£237
2025£340£178£318£271
2026£325£259£338£237
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Besses.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Besses in the last year.

Frequently asked questions about Besses

Is Besses safe?

Besses records about 102 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a average crime rate for England: it scores 6 out of 10 on the Area360 crime scale, where 10 is the highest crime level.

What is the average house price in Besses?

The median sale price in Besses is £250,000 (about £297 per square foot) based on 108 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

Are there good schools in Besses?

Besses has 4 primary schools (1 Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

How deprived is Besses?

Besses scores 7 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. The typical neighbourhood in Besses sits around rank 10,586 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

What is the average household income in Besses?

The average household income in Besses is around £44,565 per year, and 28% of homes are social housing (ONS data).

Who are the local councillors for Besses?

Besses is represented by 1 elected councillor: Noel Bayley (Labour and Co-operative Party).

All postcodes in Besses

M457EL

Bury New Road

M456DJ

Buckingham Avenue

M458SJ

Tamar Close

M458RQ

Roch Crescent

M458EA

Edwards Drive

M456DT

Furness Avenue

M458NW

Naden Walk

M457AL

Bury Old Road

M458NQ

Moss Lane

M456EF

Dudley Avenue

M458RE

Douglas Close

M458EZ

Leven Walk

M456AQ

Besses

M458JT

Bosworth Close

M458GE

Derwent Avenue

M458NL

Lune Close

M458JQ

Hindburn Close

M457BB

Hardmans Road

BL98PU

Mountbatten Close

M458NE

Albert Place

M458WL

Lune Walk

M456FW

Thatch Leach Lane

M458HF

Derwent Avenue

M458AF

Albert Road

M458SB

Waterdale Drive

M458HN

Winster Close

M456FE

Kendal Grove

M458HQ

Heybrook Walk

M456BZ

Victoria Avenue

M456DB

Cambridge Grove

M456AF

Clarendon Street

M456BW

Argyle Avenue

M458RW

Bollin Walk

M458HG

Medlock Way

M458JR

Marston Close

M458SG

Oxbow Way

M458LB

Mersey Close

M458WW

Lydgate Close

M458LP

Roch Crescent

BL98PL

Montgomery Drive

M458DY

Moss Lane

M458JD

Oak Lane

M458SP

Speyside Close

M458WR

Ogden Walk

M458LL

Calder Crescent

M456DF

Dalton Avenue

M458JN

Oak Lane

M458ND

Tweedsdale Close

M458FU

Hazel Road

M456AH

Ducie Street

M458AG

Albert Drive

BL98PA

Swinton Crescent

M458JJ

Oak Lane

M456DX

Lancaster Avenue

M458EG

Stanway Road

M456EN

Thatch Leach Lane

M458BL

Billberry Close

M456ED

Coniston Avenue

M458RS

Broadhead Walk

M456FD

Rydal Grove

BL98PE

Dempsey Drive

M456EL

Caister Avenue

M456HG

Moss Lane

M458RU

Roch Crescent

M456AJ

Bury New Road

M456FA

Lower Moss Lane

M458RH

Spodden Walk

M458SE

Brightwater Close

M458FE

Ridge Grove

M456AP

Clegg Street

M458NS

Alden Close

BL98PJ

Parr Lane

M457AZ

Conway Avenue

M458WS

Ogden Close

M458RD

Tonge Close

M456FG

Charles Street

M458RX

Roch Crescent

M458ET

Oak Lane

M456EA

Clarence Avenue

M458GA

Dalebeck Walk

M458SF

Rivermead Way

M456BQ

Mayfair Grove

M458EU

Hazel Road

M458RR

Yarrow Walk

M458AE

Ribble Drive

M458JX

Pilkington Drive

M458HE

Derwent Avenue

BL98NA

Parr Lane

M458NR

Regal Close

M458EP

Kenmore Close

M458WQ

Lune Drive

M456AL

Victoria Square

M458LX

Wyre Close

M457AX

Villiers Court

M456AZ

Windsor Avenue

M458NB

Cambeck Walk

M456BX

Gloucester Avenue

M457AY

Bury Old Road

M458AJ

Ribble Drive

M458WJ

Ribble Drive

Data Sources

All data is sourced from official UK government agencies and public datasets. Last updated: 16/07/2026. Read more about how our statistics are calculated.