[Archived] Whitebirk Area

[Brfcrule1]

I was hoping someone could advise me there is a chance I may get offered a place in Whitebirk on Hereford road close to Audley Range & Intack does anyone have any knowledge of the area what it's like? Thanks in advance Savio.

[thenodrog]

Think of Knightsbridge or Mayfair savio....... Whitebirk is nowt like that.

[Tom]

Swap Harrods for Tesco and it's probably similar

[Brfcrule1]

Do I take it from the above statements it is not as posh? also can anyone advise is it a nice place to live? has there been any problems recently in the whitebirk area? Thanks for the advice Savio. By the way in case people were wondering unfortunately the flatswap in Galligreaves has fallen through as the other party has turned it down at the last minute as from my end I was perfectly happy & the housing association were also happy but fell through at the last minute which as many people can imagine I was totally gutted but hopefully now something else comes up.Thanks in advance for the advice on whitebirk.

[Stuart]

These areas are only as good as the people living in them, Savio. Get yourself onto Google Street view though for a nosey. Posh it ain't.

If I had to choose between the two I would have gone for Oban Drive (although I understand your problems with that location). Having said that it's only a short walk to Tesco so you wouldn't need the bus.

It's off a regular bus route between Blackburn and Accrington, and has it's own newsagents and sandwich shop.

It's the kind of housing estate design that, with the right folks, could foster a really good community.

[Brfcrule1]

Thanks Stuart it sounds like a better location with having Tesco nearer makes life easier for me but looking back the place on Oban Drive would have been impractical due to my poor sight especially in the winter season now however I will be judging properties in terms of my sight and other things. Hopefully as I am fairly high up the list with regards to the whitebirk property hopefully I get the call.

[T.J.Newton]

Whiteberk is only a 10-15 minute walk down the road from Oban drive, It used to be about as trashy as Blackburn gets, may have improved slightly these days(but I doubt it) and as for lighting and bus routes is no different to shadsworth, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody it's the kind of place you try to get out of not into.

[koi]

Have a look at the Police crime map to see what level of activity is recorded.

[T.J.Newton]

P.s. I didn't say at the time because you seemed to have your heart set on the move, but galligreaves estate is an absolute dive full of thieving junkies, pish heads and the worst kind of Chavs(for want of a better word

[Stuart]

Whiteberk is only a 10-15 minute walk down the road from Oban drive, It used to be about as trashy as Blackburn gets, may have improved slightly these days(but I doubt it) and as for lighting and bus routes is no different to shadsworth, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody it's the kind of place you try to get out of not into.

The issue with Oban was the lack of late night buses iirc. No such issues with Hereford Road.

Given that Savio is looking for council accommodation in Blackburn, where would you say was the best?

[T.J.Newton]

I'm not looking for an argument stuey, just giving my honest opinion based on my experience of my time in those areas, I live in a council house in the longshaw area(close to the Manxman) and I've never had any troubles here, nor seen anything serious to complain about, so this is one predominately council/twin valley area that I would recommend(unless you can afford to go private, which I don't think is an option for the bloke).

I wouldn't be that negative about most areas of Blackburn, but whitberk and galligreaves just happen to be 2 areas that are right at the top of the list of areas I wouldn't choose to live in unless it was an absolute last resort(not to many people really stay living in those areas too long, which is why more properties come available there than other areas)

[Stuart]

I wasn't looking for an argument either. It was a genuine question, not than a sarcastic one. (I think we need a 'sincere' emoticon).

Given he is looking at council accommodation I was genuinely wondering if there was a better area which you might offer.

EDIT:

[perthblue02]

Whitebirk was not as bad as it's reputation it's a big estate and as such had good and bad areas, the Hamer Avenue side (Think this is classed as Intack) was usually Ok, but wouldn't recommend Gloucester Rd middle to Burnley Rd side , unless it's changed completely in the last few years..

It seemed the closer you were to Whitebirk Road on that estate the better the neighbourhood. Also in that area the area around the top of Devon Road was pretty stable.

Also close to Audley, Sherwood Rd/Woodlea / Lincoln Rd got better when they knocked Queens Park flats down, Audley estate had/has it's ups and downs. There was also some nice Council/housing association flats/houses around Ripon Street.

The Bennington St estate just undergone refurbishment when I was still in Blackburn and TVH were working hard on its reputation and the causes, so I'm sure people can fill you in if it was successful or not.

Cherry St, Temple Drive ,Longton St estate seemed to be quite stable .

Burnley Road /Accrington Road (very small estate Might be classed as St Judes now) is ok and its sort of connected to the Whitebirk estate.

Having previously worked in and around Blackburn / Darwen Council owned housing (now TVH) for the best part of 25 years some areas have always been steady areas and high demand (hence a lot of people have actually bought so rented are a premium) and if you have enough points/ priority and are lucky enough (although transport may be an issue for some ) . Things could have changed in the past 6 years but here's where I would have had no hesitation in living in a rented property.

Feniscowles, Roe Lee, Brownhill,, Mowbray Avenue/ Brandy House Brow, Shakespere (The little estate between Galigreaves and King Street), as TJ says Longshaw, and the Longshaw side of Highercroft. St Mark's (off Buncer lane). Thompson St Estate (I think it was called that, just opposite the Griffin Pub running off Garden St), also some decent flats in the Livingstone Road area

Others

The Griffin estate is not bad but like the majority of estates have good and bad pockets ,

Peel close was not bad, Houses so/so but the estate was alright.

St Aidan's and Springbank Terrace (be handy for Rovers) are also OK in parts as is the Livesey / Heys Lane estate.

Best when you are next up for a Rovers game spend a couple of days having a look round day / night time best way to get a feel for an area especially at weekends.

Having worked on the majority of estates in Blackburn, a lot of the reputations of some of them are a lot worse than they deserve because of small pockets , some are fully deserved.

Agree with Stuart about with the right people some estates in Blackburn could / should have been thriving areas , Even Fishmoor Drive won awards when it was built!.

[Stuart]

Nice post Perth. Good advice mate.

[T.J.Newton]

very good post perth,

I think the main diferance that has occurred with twin valley/council in the last 5 years is that they have become incredibly(unfairly imo) strict with what houses you are eligible to apply for, single people are now only entitled to 1 bed flats(and obviously the majority of 1 bed flats are mostly in undesirable parts of areas)

I guess I was lucky, I was single and got a 2 bed house with large front and back garden approx. 5 years ago before they tightened the rules up, I was on the waiting last for about 5/6 years, initially after giving up applying for places I liked then not hearing anything I gave up applying and made other living arrangements, then 5 or so years later I just out out of the blue put my name on a house I really liked the look of(100% not expecting to get it) and a week later received a letter from twin valley offering me the property(I was well chuffed)

[Tom]

Sorry I couldn't give better advice Savio I genuinely don't know too much about a lot of areas in Blackburn but there aren't many areas that everyone would agree is great and the council property's do tend to be in some of the worse areas

I think I live in a lovely area On the red row estate in cherry tree but the next man would tell you its off green lane which in turn houses one of the worst estates in the area

Its a shame you can't spend a couple of weeks in one of the areas you are looking at to test it out first as it would be a huge adjustment for example the transport links are pretty lacking compared to city life

As an aside I know you love your Tandoori chicken and whitebirk is close enough for Balti House in Rishton to deliver - best takeaway around!

[perthblue02]

very good post perth,

I think the main diferance that has occurred with twin valley/council in the last 5 years is that they have become incredibly(unfairly imo) strict with what houses you are eligible to apply for, single people are now only entitled to 1 bed flats(and obviously the majority of 1 bed flats are mostly in undesirable parts of areas)

I guess I was lucky, I was single and got a 2 bed house with large front and back garden approx. 5 years ago before they tightened the rules up, I was on the waiting last for about 5/6 years, initially after giving up applying for places I liked then not hearing anything I gave up applying and made other living arrangements, then 5 or so years later I just out out of the blue put my name on a house I really liked the look of(100% not expecting to get it) and a week later received a letter from twin valley offering me the property(I was well chuffed)

I bet you were chuffed, they are well built houses in that area and know people who have lived there for years, I lived not far from there until the council decided to do a bit of Social Engineering and let private landlords take over and move scrotes in and left the area to rot, so eventually they could build their , owner occupier, rented, part owner boxes ticked PC utopia . Still, fleeced the buggers over my house and moved to sunnier climates so can't complain ,

[T.J.Newton]

Still single though, so if I where to lose my job the bedroom tax would be a right kick in the ballls.

I'd Consider buying the property, but that's another thing that's changed in recent years, you don't get the massive discounts with the 'right to buy' scheme that you could in the past(I think it's called 'the right to acquire')

[perthblue02]

Still single though, so if I where to lose my job the bedroom tax would be a right kick in the ballls.

I'd Consider buying the property, but that's another thing that's changed in recent years, you don't get the massive discounts with the 'right to buy' scheme that you could in the past(I think it's called 'the right to acquire')

Pity they don't let you buy them for the price TVH bought them from the council for, think it was 9k per property, way way below the average Blackburn property price at the time..

[T.J.Newton]

I have to say in my experience twin valley do a far better job than the council ever did and the rules for the right to buy/acquire scheme are well out of their hands id imagine, im not actually sure what Blackburn council do anymore(other than rake in the council tax) now that most things are privatised, etc...

[Brfcrule1]

Thanks Perth excellent post having looked at the area and the map the property I may get offered is closer to whitebirk road and the top of Devon road so it seems it is the more stable part. Thanks for the tip Tom yeah I do love my tandoori chicken so if I get offered the place will definitely be eating from there.

[thenodrog]

The issue with Oban was the lack of late night buses iirc. No such issues with Hereford Road.

Given that Savio is looking for council accommodation in Blackburn, where would you say was the best?

Feni.

[cn174]

Have a look at the Police crime map to see what level of activity is recorded.

But don't take it too literally. The police crime maps are very badly made suggesting there is more crime in a certain place when it is an aggregation of a larger area.