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| Britain's first 'million pound towns' | Britain's first 'million pound towns' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| One has a golf course that charges £125,000 to become a member, and the other has a post office said to stock bottles of Bollinger and Dom Perignon. | One has a golf course that charges £125,000 to become a member, and the other has a post office said to stock bottles of Bollinger and Dom Perignon. |
| The towns of Virginia Water and Cobham, in Surrey, have become Britain's first million pound towns - where average house prices are more than £1m. | The towns of Virginia Water and Cobham, in Surrey, have become Britain's first million pound towns - where average house prices are more than £1m. |
| Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is also in the millionaire's club, according to research by Lloyds Bank. | Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is also in the millionaire's club, according to research by Lloyds Bank. |
| They are the first towns outside London where prices have hit seven figures. | They are the first towns outside London where prices have hit seven figures. |
| The research was based on data from the Land Registry for the first half of 2015. | The research was based on data from the Land Registry for the first half of 2015. |
| Prices in Virginia Water - home to the likes of Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Bruce Forsyth - average no less than £1.169m, making it Britain's most expensive town outside the capital. | Prices in Virginia Water - home to the likes of Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Bruce Forsyth - average no less than £1.169m, making it Britain's most expensive town outside the capital. |
| No wonder that the town's famous golf course, Wentworth, feels able to charge joining fees of £125,000. That is on top of the annual membership fee of £16,000. | No wonder that the town's famous golf course, Wentworth, feels able to charge joining fees of £125,000. That is on top of the annual membership fee of £16,000. |
| Stamp duty | Stamp duty |
| Cobham - familiar to Chelsea footballers and their WAGS - has average prices of £1.043m. | Cobham - familiar to Chelsea footballers and their WAGS - has average prices of £1.043m. |
| And anyone wanting to buy in Beaconsfield can expect to pay £1.003m. | |
| "We're seeing the emergence of towns where the average price is at least £1 million," said Sarah Deaves, private banking director at Lloyds Bank. | "We're seeing the emergence of towns where the average price is at least £1 million," said Sarah Deaves, private banking director at Lloyds Bank. |
| "Whilst there are several London neighbourhoods where prices are already at this elevated level, outside of the capital this is a first." | "Whilst there are several London neighbourhoods where prices are already at this elevated level, outside of the capital this is a first." |
| However the figures also show a sharp slow-down in the number of homes sold for more than £1m. | However the figures also show a sharp slow-down in the number of homes sold for more than £1m. |
| In the first half of 2015 there were 5,599 such sales, down from 6,303 in 2014. That amounts to an 11% fall. | In the first half of 2015 there were 5,599 such sales, down from 6,303 in 2014. That amounts to an 11% fall. |
| One reason for that is the change in Stamp Duty rates, introduced in December 2014. | One reason for that is the change in Stamp Duty rates, introduced in December 2014. |
| The buyer of a £1m house will now pay £43,750 in Stamp Duty, up from £40,000 previously. | The buyer of a £1m house will now pay £43,750 in Stamp Duty, up from £40,000 previously. |