As Stoke-on-Trent City Council prepares to appoint a new chief executive with a salary of £195,000, politicians have said they'd prefer the new recruit lived in the Potteries. Robert Brown looks at what's available at the moment

AS THE global recession continues so the effect on the property market continues to be felt with homeowners knocking thousands of pounds off their asking price.

Though of course, money's no object for the new chief executive – should he or she choose to settle in the six towns, something deputy council leader Brian Ward says he believes is a key factor in carrying out the job successfully.

The post was advertised in January following the resignation of council manager Steve Robinson, pictured below, and in the interim the city has been run by council manager Chris Harman, supported by interim assistant chief executive Mike Maunder.

With Stoke-on-Trent offering some of the cheapest property prices in the country, the new recruit may struggle to find something within city limits that matches their buying power.

Particularly when, as Britannia mortgage consultant Jane Longmore adds, such a salary could command a mortgage more than four times their income, bringing homes of more than £800,000 within their reach.

Clive Austerberry, owner of Austerberry estate agents, says: "If you were looking for a property within Stoke-on-Trent then there is a limited range.

"There are not many highly priced houses here, but the most likely place to look would be in the older parts of Trentham.

"Newcastle has lots of higher-priced properties in the Westlands area, though Trentham also gives easy access to the city centre.

"But either way the candidate is still likely to have some spare change. At the moment, clients don't have to spend that much to be at the top of the property pile. – especially in the current financial crisis."

Meanwhile, in Robbie Williams's home town of Tunstall, luxury properties fit for a superstar are few and far between.

Cory Clarke, manager of Tunstall Reeds Rains, says: "This is the wrong area for luxury houses.

"Properties with land can reach up to £500,000, and these sorts of properties can be found near Newchapel, but this is not a high-priced area. Leek and Baddeley Green are far more lucrative, with properties regularly reaching around £300,000.

"The most expensive property I have on my books is 19 Bullocks House Road, at £349,950. It is a four bedroom detached bungalow with a paddock, stable and garden.

"We have always been able to get lower interest here, but we're starting to feel the effects of the credit crunch. People selling houses now need to reduce their prices and stay competitive.

"For example, houses here on Victoria Park Road that once fetched £180,000 are now for sale at £60,000."

Bairstow Eves branch manager Khurum Choudhry, based in Stoke, added: "Properties in the £800,000 bracket are very far and few between.

"The majority of the properties across the city cater for the surrounding people, and it's very rare that houses of this calibre come on to the market.

"What we do find is that properties within the Trentham area do command slightly more than other areas."

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