Nestoria Blog

First came road-charging in Durham, then the London congestion charge (+ extension) and now plans have been given the go-ahead for a similar scheme in Manchester.

We’re sure everyone knows what these are by now - systems put in place to charge motorists entering or present within a specific area, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion.

A few facts about the Manchester system:

• Setup is expected to cost £2.8bn
• Provisional launch set for 2013
• Will consist of 2 ‘zones’ (one outer, one inner)
• The outer zone will be drawn roughly around the M60
• The inner zone will outline the city centre
• Entry charges will only be triggered during the morning (07:00-09:00) or evening (16:00-18:30) and will be £2 for entering the outer zone plus a further £1 for the inner zone
• Exit charges will only be triggered during the evening and will be £1 upon exiting each zone
• Public transport capacity and links are expected to be increased to ensure alternatives for motorists

What does this mean for Nestoria users?

Those that have used Nestoria to search for aproperty in central London may well have seen a little next to some properties. This is to let you know that this property is within the congestion charging zone. Why is this important? If you live within the zone, you get a 90% discount on the charge - not bad! There may also be other impacts - it would be more expensive for friends to drive to see you and so on.

We had this data up for London as soon as we launched, and even marked those properties in the London western extension before it went live, so that you could plan ahead.

We plan on doing the same for Manchester as soon as the zones are agreed upon - this should help you make the right decision about your next property, and make your search for the perfect nest that much easier.

Happy hunting!