TAUNTON is one of just a few "pockets" of England where house prices have fallen quarterly and annually, figures from Zoopla reveal.

The TA postcode area has seen a -2% drop in the annual rate of house price inflation, bucking the national upward trend.

Estate agent Zoopla held Taunton as a prime example of a local area that is seeing house prices "still adjusting to the impact of higher borrowing costs".

Other areas experiencing negative inflation rates included Dartford, -1.3%, Enfield -1.1%, and Harrogate, -1% [by postal area], Zoopla's UK House Price Index for August shows.

Elsewhere, across "most areas of the country" house prices have seen an improvement in the year-to-date — from -0.9% in the east of England to +5.1% in Northern Ireland.  

Zoopla reported that price inflation had turned positive in London, at +0.2%, but that small falls are still being seen in South East, South West England, and East Midlands.

It added that in "more affordable housing markets" above-average annual gains in house prices have been observed — for example in areas close to larger cities like Wolverhampton, 3%, Oldham, 2.8%, and Wakefield. 2.7%. 

The Scottish Borders has seen house prices skyrocket, with a 4.4% rise in the postal areas of Dumfries and Galloway, 3.1% in Galashiels, and 3.1% in Falkirk.