Desoto Road Widnes, Halton
25 addresses across 2 postcodes (WA8), about 1.2 km (0.8 miles) long, classed as a local road. USRN 16101427.
- Flood: 2 addresses on its postcodes are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water.
- Council tax: Most homes around it are in council tax band A; Band D in Halton costs £2,367 a year in 2026-27.
- Broadband: Gigabit broadband is available to 0% to 20% of premises.
- Transport: The nearest railway station is Runcorn, about 1.5 km (0.9 miles) away in a straight line.
- Green space: The nearest park or garden is about 930 m (0.6 miles) away.
- Air: Background air pollution in 2024 was 12.5 µg/m³ of nitrogen dioxide and 6.5 of PM2.5, within UK legal limits.
- Height: Its addresses are 5 to 23 m above sea level.
- Noise: 10 of its 51 addresses are modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic.
- Doctors: The nearest GP surgery is Tower House Practice, about 1.6 km (1 mile) away, with 4 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile).
- People: About 750 people lived in the census areas around it in 2021; 58% of households owned their home and 19% of adults held a degree or other higher qualification.
- Crime: 1 crimes were recorded within 250 m between September 2025 and August 2026, most often burglary.
Sales on this street
No sales recorded on this street since January 1995 under this street name.
Energy performance certificates
No certificates found for addresses on this street.
Council tax
What each band costs in Halton in 2026-27: Band D £2,367 a year on average, including the police, fire and any county and parish charges.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,578 | £1,841 | £2,104 | £2,367 | £2,893 | £3,418 | £3,944 | £4,733 |
Homes by band in the neighbourhoods around this street: most are in band A (63% of about 2,380 homes).
Planning and heritage
- Conservation area: no postcode centre in this street's postcodes is in one.
- Listed buildings on or by this street: none.
- Article 4 direction (removing permitted development rights): none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Tree preservation orders: none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Green belt: no.
Roadworks
No street works under way, planned or finished in the last three months on this street, in permits up to 30 September 2026.
Flood risk
Rivers, the sea or surface water: in this street's postcodes, 2 addresses are in areas at high risk, 0 at medium risk and 2 at low risk. Each address counts once, at the higher of its rivers-and-sea and surface-water risk.
Rivers and the sea alone: no home is in an area at risk.
High: 3.3% (1 in 30) or more chance of flooding a year. Medium: 1% to 3.3%. Low: 0.1% to 1%. Very low: under 0.1%. The rivers and sea figures allow for flood defences. Counts cover whole postcodes, which can include other streets.
Flood zone for planning: no postcode centre on this street is in flood zone 2 or 3.
| Postcode | Planning zone | Addresses at high / medium / low risk | Groundwater |
|---|---|---|---|
| WA8 0PB | not in 2 or 3 | 0 / 0 / 1 | unlikely |
| WA8 8UB | not in 2 or 3 | 2 / 0 / 1 | unlikely |
Height above sea level
The street's 51 addresses are between 5 m and 23 m above sea level (12 m on average); the ground rises about 18 m from the lowest to the highest.
Broadband
| Postcode | Superfast (30 Mbit/s+) | Ultrafast (300 Mbit/s+) | Gigabit | Below 10 Mbit/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA8 0PB | 0% | 0% | 0% | 40% |
| WA8 8UB | 100% | 20% | 20% | 0% |
Getting around
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway stations | Runcorn 732,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) |
| Hough Green 193,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 2.9 km (1.8 miles) | |
| Widnes 428,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 3.3 km (2 miles) | |
| Bus stops | None within 800 m (0.5 miles) | |
| Bus or coach station | Belle Vale Bus Station | 8.6 km (5.3 miles) |
| Car parks | 40 Wellington Street Parking | 1.3 km (0.8 miles) |
| EV charging points | 2 within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Wellington Street | 1.3 km (0.8 miles) |
| Airport with scheduled flights | Liverpool John Lennon Airport LPL | 6.9 km (4.3 miles) |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | 4 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Tower House Practice | 1.6 km (1 mile) |
| Pharmacies | 7 pharmacies within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest West Bank Pharmacy | 1 km (0.6 miles) |
| NHS dentists | 2 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Church Street Dental Practice | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
| Hospital | Highfield Hospital | 2.8 km (1.7 miles) |
| Police station | Widnes Police Station | 2.3 km (1.4 miles) |
| Cash machines | Aasa Express 1 Cashzone | 1.2 km (0.7 miles) |
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Park or garden | Unnamed 4,150 m² | 930 m (0.6 miles) |
| Play area | Unnamed 860 m² | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) |
| Playing field | Unnamed 2.5 ha | 920 m (0.6 miles) |
| Allotments | Unnamed 2,240 m² | 1 km (0.6 miles) |
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Runcorn Bridge Railway Bridge Over River Mersey, a listed building (Grade II*), 920 m (0.6 miles) south-east. 5 listed buildings are within 1 km (0.6 miles), 2 of them Grade II*.
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Runcorn Bridge Railway Bridge Over River Mersey | Listed building, Grade II* | 920 m (0.6 miles) south-east |
| Former Transporter Bridge Power House | Listed building, Grade II* | 1 km (0.6 miles) east |
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Runcorn Gap | Tidal water | 840 m (0.5 miles) south-east |
| Church Bank | Wetland | 1 km (0.6 miles) south-east |
| Bower's Pool | Tidal water | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) east |
| Hale Road Woods | Wood | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) north-west |
| Big Pool | Lake or reservoir | 2.1 km (1.3 miles) south-east |
| Beacon Hill | Hill | 2.2 km (1.3 miles) south |
Air quality
| Pollutant | Here | UK limit | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 12.5 | 40 | 10 |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 6.5 | 20 | 5 |
| Particles (PM10) | 11.3 | 40 | 15 |
All three are within the UK legal limits; nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 are above the WHO guideline, as in most towns and cities.
Road, rail and aircraft noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 to 74 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 60 to 64 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 to 59 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Under 55 | 41 | 51 | 50 |
10 of the street's 51 addresses are modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic, above the WHO guidelines.
Climate, daylight and earthquakes
Monthly temperatures and rainfall, sunrise and sunset through the year, and earthquakes recorded nearby since 1970 are much the same across the area, so they are worked out once for Halton: see them on the Halton page.
Nearest schools
| School | Phase | Ages | Distance | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widnes Academy | Primary | 3–11 | 900 m (0.6 miles) | No published inspection |
| Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary School Church of England | Primary | 4–11 | 1.3 km (0.8 miles) | No overall grade (Sep 2024, graded inspection without an overall judgement): Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good |
| St Michaels Catholic Primary & Nursery School Roman Catholic | Primary | 3–11 | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) | Good (May 2023, overall grade under the previous framework) |
| Westfield Primary School | Primary | 4–11 | 1.7 km (1 mile) | Good (May 2023, overall grade under the previous framework) |
| Halebank CofE Primary School Church of England | Primary | 4–11 | 1.7 km (1.1 miles) | No overall grade (Sep 2024, graded inspection without an overall judgement): Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good |
| Riverside College Halton | 16 plus | 16–99 | 1.8 km (1.1 miles) | No published inspection |
| Victoria Road Primary School | Primary | 5–11 | 1.8 km (1.1 miles) | No published inspection |
| Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Ditton Nursery School | Nursery | 2–4 | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) | No published inspection |
| St Edward's Catholic Primary School Roman Catholic | Primary | 4–11 | 2 km (1.2 miles) | No overall grade (Mar 2025, graded inspection without an overall judgement): Quality of education: Good; Behaviour and attitudes: Good; Personal development: Good; Leadership and management: Good |
| St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School | Primary | 2–11 | 2 km (1.2 miles) | Report card (Jan 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard; Achievement: Strong standard; Attendance and behaviour: Strong standard; Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard; Inclusion: Strong standard; Leadership and governance: Strong standard; Early years: Expected standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
Food hygiene ratings nearby
| Business | Type | Distance | Rating | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCS at Tesco Widnes (Staff Canteen) WA8 0PB | Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 280 m | 5 Very good | 7 Oct 2024 |
Crime within 250 m
| Category | Crimes |
|---|---|
| Burglary | 1 |
Most of these are attached to: On or near Desoto Road (1).
People and work
Who lives here
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 17% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 25% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 58% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 38% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | under 1% | 1% |
| Social rented | 17% | 17% |
| Private rented | 24% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 55% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 6% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 26% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | 6% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 17% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 63% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | under 1% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 5% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 11% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km (6 miles) of home (of those who travel to work) | 66% | 65% |
| Work 30 km (19 miles) or more away | 6% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 19% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | 7% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 92% | 91% |
| Cannot speak English well or at all | 2% | 2% |
Deprivation
The 2 neighbourhoods around this street are in deciles 1 to 2 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods and 10 the least.
What has changed
Nothing new since the change feed started on 30 October 2026. New sales and energy certificates, and hygiene ratings, school inspections and flood figures nearby, will be listed here as the sources update.
Postcodes on this street
Nearby streets
What this page cannot tell you
- Whether a particular house is at risk of flooding, subsiding or anything else: the flood map is a model of areas and there is no property-level data here.
- What a home is worth now: sales are historic prices for the homes that happened to sell.
- How safe the street is: crime points are moved to anonymised locations and many crimes are never reported.
- Whether you would get a place at a school: distances are straight lines, not catchments.
- Who lives on the street now: census figures describe the small areas around it in March 2021, during a lockdown.
- How long a journey takes or how often anything runs: transport distances are straight lines to the nearest stops.
- Whether a GP practice is taking new patients, or a dentist new NHS patients.
- How loud a home is inside, or noise from industry, neighbours or smaller airfields: noise figures are models of road, rail and air traffic outside.
How each figure on this page is matched to the street and worked out: methodology.