Relocating to the North West

• Our employees come from across the U.K and indeed the World to join us here. With an excellent variety of places to live, a vibrant culture and a good choice of schools, it all adds up to make the region a great quality of life destination to live and work.

• • Alderley Park

  • About Alderley Park
  • Work at Alderley Park
  • Take a 360 tour
  • Living in the North West
  • Relocating to the North West

We recognise that relocating on your own or with a family is never easy. We believe in the importance of helping you settle into life at AstraZeneca with the minimum of stress and disruption. So depending on your role and where appropriate, we provide professional relocation assistance tailored to your individual needs.

In the meantime and to give you a flavour for the areas around our North West sites, we hope you find the following information on local areas helpful.

Places to live:

Macclesfield and Bollington

Macclesfield, originally the home of the silk industry has grown to be an important centre with good cultural and entertainment facilities. It is estimated to be among the 30 wealthiest towns in the country, yet at the same time offers broad family appeal with a wide mix of relatively affordable housing and an excellent choice of schools.

Cobbled streets and former textile mill buildings stand side-by-side with a modern pedestrianised shopping centre and the town is bordered to the east by the picturesque Peak District National Park.

Nearby Bollington is a popular choice too - it retains a village atmosphere with its distinctive local stone mill cottages and central green.

The area is served by a high-speed train service to Manchester and London, and the airport is just 15 miles away.

Wilmslow

Leafy Wilmslow with a population of 30,000 has a reputation for up-scale boutiques and shops with a range of bars and restaurants suiting all tastes.

It's an affluent town and is a home to a number of celebrities and professional footballers that live here and in the surrounding area.

Wilmslow is one of the most popular residential choices in the South Manchester area with good schools, and as a result property is much sought after and commands a premium.

Just 10 miles to the south of Manchester, the town boasts convenient transport links, with easy motorway, rail and airport access.

Didsbury and Chorlton

Just a few miles out of Manchester city centre, with an excellent 24 hour public transport network, quick and easy access to the countryside, plus buzzing amenities and a friendly, relaxing atmosphere all its own, it's no wonder that Didsbury and Chorlton are two of Manchester's most desirable locations to live in.

The areas café culture is popular with students, young professionals and trendy urbanites with a wide choice of bars and restaurants.

The cosmopolitan neighbourhoods offer traditional residential family areas alongside younger, vibrant communities.  Didsbury's desirability means that house prices now command a premium, with Chorlton offering slightly better value for money.  

Alderley Edge and Prestbury.

Formerly home to David and Victoria Beckham the area boasts some of the largest properties in the country. With boutique shops and restaurants lining the bustling main street, Alderley Edge retains a welcoming, relaxed village atmosphere.  

Nearby Prestbury is an unspoilt picturesque village on the river Bollin with historic inns and renowned restaurants, galleries and shops. Both villages and surrounding hamlets of Cheshire offer the perfect place for discriminating house hunters. Just don't expect a bargain.

Congleton and surrounding areas.

In the 18th Century Congleton was transformed by the introduction of silk manufacture. Nowadays, light industry and engineering provide the major employment for the town.

Congleton is a small market town in the southeast corner of Cheshire and its location makes it a very convenient location for trips north or south; Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool are all accessible within a 1-hour drive.

The town centre has retained its medieval street plan and the rolling countryside combine to offer a diversity of scenery, culture and charm. There are a wide variety of local shops and affordable housing within the town and the surrounding villages of Knutsford, Holmes Chapel, and Sandbach are good options too.

Altrincham and surrounding area.

Altrincham is situated on the south-west edge of Manchester. It is an affluent area with a range of well established and new build developments. It provides easy access to both the amenities of the Greater Manchester conurbation and the Cheshire Green Belt.  

The town is on the Metrolink tram-line and with Manchester Airport close-by it makes the area a popular choice for both lifestyle and business reasons.  The developments of new stores and leisure facilities have all helped to bring a new vibrancy to Altrincham's town centre.

The area offers a good mix of schools and housing but expect to pay premium prices to live in the surrounding villages of Hale, Halebarns and Bowden.

Useful links*

Explore the region : www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com  

Property search site: www.rightmove.co.uk

School reports  : www.ofsted.gov.uk

*Please be aware that AstraZeneca is not responsible for the content and operation of external sites.