The UK's property hotspots are revealed by Zoopla – did your town make the list?

The historic market town of Belper has been named the UK's biggest property hotspot of the year so far by property website Zoopla.

Property prices in the Derbyshire town have increased by 7.43 per cent since the beginning of the year, according to a new report by the property site. This is the largest increase of house prices in any town in Britain.

Belper is situated on the River Dwent just outside of the Peak District, and is part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. In 2014 the picturesque town won the High Street of the Year award.

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In second place is the coastal town of Hove in East Sussex, where house prices have risen by 7.07 per cent since the start of 2017. This is followed by Todmorden in West Yorkshire, which has seen a 6.66 per cent increase.

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Here are the top 10 towns for house price increases since January 2017:

1. Belper, Derbyshire, 7.43 per cent increase
2. Hove, East Sussex, 7.07 per cent increase
3. Todmorden, West Yorkshire, 6.66 per cent increase
4. Woodbridge, Suffolk, 6.59 per cent increase
5. Sudbury, Suffolk, 6.56 per cent increase
6. Bexley, Kent, 6.56 per cent increase
7. Langport, Somerset, 6.55 per cent increase
8. Swanley, Kent, 6.49 per cent increase
9. Worcestor Park, London, 6.41 per cent increase
10. Holyhead, Anglesey, 6.29 per cent increase

These statistics are in contrast to the rest of the country, where the property market has reportedly only grown by 1.1 per cent since the start of the year. This marks a huge slowdown when compared to the same period last year, when there was 5.28 per cent growth in the market.

The worst performing town in terms of property prices is Yorkshire’s Richmond, where average house prices have fallen by 5.34 per cent since the beginning of the year. Two towns in Surrey follow, with prices in Leatherhead dropping by 5.22 per cent and Walton-on-Thames seeing a decline of 5.21 per cent.

The average British home is now valued at £304,469 - up by just £3,039 since January.

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'Whilst the rate of growth has slowed to a more modest rate, we’re not seeing the stark downturn in values that has been predicted,' says Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla. 'News of a slowdown might not be what homeowners want to hear, b does present a possible opportunity for those looking to get on the ladder by the end of the year.'