Commuter towns 'to buck price trends'

Certain areas of London and south-east England are set to enjoy the strongest price gains next year on the back of improved transport connections, Halifax has said.

The estate agency has released a study showing what it believes will be the "house price hotspots" of 2008, with Scotland joining the south-east of England as the area likely to perform particularly well.

Towns such as Chatham in Kent, Lochgelly in Scotland and Hackney in east London are among those anticipated to have the highest price growth, the report has revealed.

"Some areas will continue to be in high demand next year with property prices rising accordingly despite the expected subdued outlook across the market as a whole," revealed Halifax Estate Agents managing director Colin Kemp.

"Those areas that are likely to record the biggest price gains will tend to be those with a combination of good transport links to a major conurbation and relatively low average prices. A number of areas will see a boost to prices as a result of significant infrastructure projects," Mr Kemp continued.

Some 63 towns in Britain now have an average house price of at least £300,000, according to another study by Halifax published over the Christmas period.