Latest news with #WhichSurvey
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
New blow for Britain's worst seaside town rated 'drab' and 'rundown' as its main shopping centre goes up for sale at knockdown price
In a new blow for Britain's 'worst seaside town' described as 'drab' and 'rundown', the area is so unpopular that the main shopping centre has been put on the market for just a quarter of the price it cost to build. The historic Welsh resort of Bangor took the unwanted number one spot on the Which? survey of worst seaside town in Britain earlier this month, scoring just 42 percent and being given one-star ratings for food, shopping and tourist attractions. And in a sign of the former Victorian resort's slump its premier shopping centre - the Menai Centre - is up for sale at just a fraction of the cost of building it. In a Which? survey posted in early May, Bangor came off the worst with an approval rating less than half of the nation's best beach town - Bamburgh Castle in Northumbria - which had an approval rating of 86 percent. Other towns suffering the label of being some of the worst for a beach getaway in Britain include Southend-on-Sea, Skegness and Clacton-on-Sea. However, Bangor was praised as a good base for visiting the 'fabulous' scenery and coast of North Wales. Photos from the town show virtually no footfall outside of the summer season, with the town's main shopping centre now being offloaded too. It is particularly noticeable as the town has the longest high street in Wales, and is also the oldest Welsh city. The label shows how far Bangor has fallen since its heyday, with historic photos showing hundreds of people gathered to watch the opening of the pier during the Victorian period in 1896. Even as recently as 30 years ago, the area was still a beloved hub for tourists and holidaymakers, and even featured in a popular song by folk group Fiddler's Dream in 1979 named Day Trip to Bangor (Didn't We Have a Lovely Time). The song made it to number three in the charts and secured the band's place in history as a one hit wonder. It was also later mired in controversy after it was claimed the song was actually inspired by a trip to nearby Rhyl - but Bangor was used in the title due to it having an extra syllable. But its 'shopping dream' precinct - developed in 2007 and cost £18.5m to build - is now listed for auction with a guide price of just £4.2million. The centre once housed High Street fashion retailers such as Debenhams and H&M, but they left during the pandemic and the centre is now 80 percent vacant. Among the shops left include a Greggs, The Original Factory Shop, and Hays Travel, as well as a cocktail bar. A health centre is set to open in the former Debenhams store funded by the Welsh Government, which is hoped will attract footfall - but that unit is not part of the sale. The 130,000 sq ft building was bought by Bearmont Capital - run by Rob Lloyd - in 2023 and is listed for auction with property giant Savills in a two stage bidding process. Savills said: 'The property is arranged over ground and one upper floor and arranged as 19 separate units. It comprises 64,321 sq ft of retail and leisure space. 'Tenants include JD Sport, Cafe Nero, Hays Travel, 3 mobile, Superdrug and Greggs amongst others 'Each shop benefits from their own street frontage. The Shopping Centre has no communal atrium, thus minimising the common parts. To the rear is a service yard.' Savills say the current annual rents paid by tenants add up to £508,000. Explaining the bidding process, a spokesperson said: 'In stage 1 potential purchasers will be invited to place bids via a set deadline. These offers will then be considered by the client and a best and final offers may be called. 'Should an offer meet the clients requirements a successful bidder will be selected and a sale will take place via an auction contract, which will be signed immediately along with receiving a 10 per cent deposit. The property will be deemed as 'sold prior to auction'. 'If no stand out bids are received or bids received are of a similar value then a reserve price will be set on the property and it will be sold via a live online auction (date to be determined subject to Stage 1 of the process).' The stage one bids close on June 10. After receiving the title of worst seaside town in Britain, Bangor City Council said: 'It's disappointing to see Bangor City named as one of the UK's worst seaside towns. Such rankings often fail to capture the full picture and the unique charms that make Bangor City so special.'
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Cheapest & most reliable second-hand cars to buy and insure revealed including discontinued Hybrid & Mazda convertible
THE cheapest and most reliable second-hand cars to buy and insure have been revealed. Tens of thousands of vehicles were examined as part of a huge study which uncovered that a discontinued Hybrid and Mazda convertible are among the most reliable cars. 12 12 In the annual Which? Survey, thousands of Brits opened up about their cars and the issues that they've had with them. The consumer advice company then crunched the numbers to determine how reliable a model is within its first four years of being manufactured, as well as those produced 5-9 years ago and 10-15 years ago. The survey involved over 60,000 car owners who owned a total of 71,002 cars. Lexus CT Hatchback Hybrid (2011 to 2020) The Lexus CT200h is popular because of its low running costs and low-speed refinement. Its petrol-electric parallel hybrid powertrain was previously used in the Toyota Prius, all the way back in 1997. A second-hand model sells for between £5000 and £10,000 with prices varying slightly depending on the car's generation. The Lexus CT received a refresh in 2014 and another in 2017 before finally being discontinued in 2020. Mazda MX-5 Convertible (2005 to 2015) The Mazda MX-5 debuted in its earliest form in 1989 but the convertible version first became available in 2005. It won the Car of the Year Japan Award in its first year of being on the market and is known for its stylish exterior. The vehicle also had simple on-board technology which was easy to use, alongside a sleek interior. 12 Lexus RX Hybrid (2009 to 2015) The Lexus RX Hybrid became popular for being a low-cost car to run. The second Lexus vehicle on this list enjoyed an immense popularity whilst on the market, thanks to its half-electric and half-petrol engine helping the car go further. It was also famed for being a particularly quiet car, making drives even more comfortable. Honda Jazz Hatchback (2008 to 2015) The Honda Jazz had a bigger boot than most of its competitors, including a Ford Focus, despite being one of the smaller cars on the market. Inside, the car was fitted with a spacious interior and a series of flaps to prevent luggage from sliding around. It also had a raised driving position which made driving much easier. Skoda Citigo Hatchback (2012 to 2019) The Citigo faced a lot of comparisons to the Volkswagen Up and Seat Mii during its time on the road. Largely, this was due to all three cars having very similar engines, structures and gearboxes. However, what set the Citigo apart was how smooth a ride it was. Thanks to its three-cylinder engine, the car was exceedingly cheap to run and cost less than the Volkswagen Up. 12 BMW X1 (2009 to 2015) The BM1 X1 was shorter and narrower than the BMW 3 Series Touring range which gave it a more elegant exterior shell. By the end of its production cycle in 2015, there were five cars in the BMW X1 range - five of which were diesel engines and one of which had a petrol engine. The car was described at the time as 'stable' and 'composed', making it one of the more reliable vehicles on the market. Suzuki Swift Hatchback (2010 to 2016) The Suzuki Swift was famed for being a smooth drive, which was also quiet whilst driving on the motorway. It received an update in 2013 which revised some of the car's interior, before a major update in 2014 which saw the car's diesel engine being swapped for a Dualjet petrol engine. The five-speed manual gear box was easy to use and the dashboard technology was remarkably simple to use. Toyota Yaris Hatchback (2011 to 2020) The Toyota Yaris was hugely popular, thanks in part to its spacious and comfortable interior. It also came with a hybrid option which offered reduced emissions with the trade-off of a fraction less boot space. The Yaris was first launched in 1999 and helped set a new trend for cars across the world, with the implementation of a digital speedometer on the dashboard. Suzuki Alto Hatchback (2009 to 2014) The Suzuki Alto hatchback claimed to be one of the cleanest petrol cars on the market, when it first launched in 2009. Although the car only measures 3.5 metres in length, its height ensures that driving always feels comfortable. It also has a quick response time, which makes it easy to drive. 12 Toyota Auris Hatchback (2012 to 2019) Despite having a low profile, the Auris offers a great driving position and is surprisingly roomy. It comes with a 350 litre boot and runs on a 134bhp 1.8-litre VVT-h engine. The Auris also has a sleek design which makes it one of the more stylish cars to take out on the road. The cheapest second-hand cars to buy and insure Which? have compiled a list of the cheapest second-hand cars to buy and insure. In order to create the list, the consumer adviser quizzed 60,000 Brits about their cars. The best value second-hand cars are: Lexus CT Hatchback Hybrid (2011 to 2020) Mazda MX-5 Convertible (2005 to 2015) Lexus RX Hybrid (2009 to 2015) Honda Jazz Hatchback (2008 to 2015) Skoda Citigo Hatchback (2012 to 2019) BMW X1 (2009 to 2015) Suzuki Swift Hatchback (2010 to 2016) Toyota Yaris Hatchback (2011 to 2020) Suzuki Alto Hatchback (2009 to 2014) Toyota Auris Hatchback (2012 to 2019)
