MORE young "affluentials" earning in excess of £60,000 a year are living in the south of the borough than Bury North, new figures have revealed.

And although both areas are included in a newly-published North West "rich list," the borough cannot emulate the affluence of Tatton, the leafy Cheshire district.

For Tatton is top of the region's wealthiest area league, according to the "Affluentials 2002" research produced by Barclays Private Clients, the wealth management arm of Barclays.

Almost eight per cent (7.7 per cent) of people in Tatton are earning more than £60,000 per year, more than southern counterparts such as Tunbridge Wells (7.5 per cent) and Guildford (7.5 per cent).

Other Cheshire constituencies dominate the top positions with Macclesfield second (7 per cent) and Altrincham and Sale West third (6.6 per cent).

Bury South emerged in 23rd position in the 73-strong league with 2.8 per cent of the population enjoying an income of more than £60,000. And the area was in 32nd place overall in terms of the fact 4.2 per cent of those falling in that salary bracket were under the age of 30.

Bury North came in at 25th spot with 2.7 per cent the population earning in excess of £60k and 57th in the league with 2.6 per cent being aged under 30.

Christine Martindale, Barclays Private Clients' regional manager for the North West, said:

"The trends in the young Affluentials are very interesting because they indicate where the next up-and-coming areas are likely to be. Manchester Withington and Manchester Central for example, already have reasonable levels of wealthy but the growth in the young Affluentials would suggest that the area is likely to benefit from increasing gentrification and investment, as is evidenced by Sport City development for the Commonwealth Games."