Soaring house prices in one part of Liverpool have been described as 'scary.'
Two of the city's post codes were named as the most in demand areas to live in the country by estate agent Purplebricks earlier this month.
The L17 and L18 areas in the south of the city are in huge demand now, with reports that some houses are selling within 24 hours of going on the market.
Read more: Two Liverpool postcodes are 'most in demand areas' in the UK
You might think that this would be good news for people who already own homes in these areas, with the extra demand likely to push house prices up - but could it have negative impacts for the wider city?
Liverpool's Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Richard Kemp owns a house in the Church Ward of L18.
Rather than celebrate the inevitable soaring house prices in his area, he says he and other local people are concerned.
Cllr Kemp said: "As I’ve gone door knocking in the area since the accolade was awarded, I’ve found that many people do not think that raging house prices are a good thing. I agree with them.
"We’re not quite at London prices but I find the fact that in this area a two-bedroomed terrace can sell for £200,000 scary."
He explained: "When I was visited a few years ago by a friend from London he asked how much my own house is worth. I didn’t really know but I hazarded a guess. He was shocked. This would be worth £1.5 million in Islington I was told. My response was, “it’s just as well as it’s in Liverpool then as we couldn’t have afforded to buy it.
"That’s the problem summed up concisely. Rising house prices restrict social mobility. It used to be that only reasonably paid people could afford to live round here. Now it’s becoming only people who are either relatively wealthy or can get support from the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ who can move in."
He added: "In the short-term we are ghettoising society. Old over there, young over here; wealthy over here less wealthy over there and people dependent on social housing being increasingly squeezed out of everywhere.
"In the longer term that means an increasing difference between the top and the bottom of the wealth ladder. Perceived wealth leads to different patterns of spending. People who feel wealthy, even if their cash is tied up in property, go and spend more on a variety of goods and services."
So what is causing the soaring house prices in south Liverpool?
Cllr Kemp says there are a number of explanations, including renewed demand after lockdown, which he says was added to unnecessarily by the government's removal of stamp duty.
He says there is also a shortage of moderately priced housing for sale, a particular issue in Liverpool.
He also blames a lack of concentration of social housing under successive governments.
So what to do?
According to Cllr Kemp, there are four ways to tackle this situation.
He explained: "Firstly, build more homes with a concentration on social housing, and homes for sale at the bottom end of the range.
"Secondly, stop interfering with the market with ill served interventions on tax and price which benefit no-one except speculators.
"Thirdly, give councils more powers to develop the housing which is required to create the socially balanced neighbourhoods in which long-term communities can develop.
"Fourthly change the capital allowances system which advantages ‘buy-to-let’ investors against home buyers."
He added: "These policy changes will not change things immediately. Housing polices take a long time to take effect. Over time these changes will make a major difference to housing affordability, wealth distribution and the creation of neighbourhoods.
"Perhaps the next couple of years will see a modest deflation in house prices to enable earnings to begin to catch up."
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