WHITEFIELD is the most desirable place to live in Bury, new property data has indicated.

The Land Registry regularly publishes data which shows which houses have been sold and for how much. Whitefield dominates the 2016 list so far.

Four of the top-ten high-priced homes in the borough are in Whitefield, with the top property, in Hey Croft, selling for £357,000.

Another two of the top ten are in Prestwich, suggesting property hunters are willing to pay a premium to live in the Prestwich and Whitefield area.

The figures cover the period January 1 to January 22 and show that 73 homes were sold across the borough in that period for a grand total of £11,763,950.

The cheapest property sold in Whitefield was in Oak Lane, for £90,000, and the cheapest property sold in Prestwich was a Longfield Centre apartment for £108,000.

According to Nationwide building society, in the last quarter of 2015, the average house in the North West cost £146,086, compared with £145,212 a year earlier £74,687 15 years ago.

The Government wants to bring down prices by encouraging local councils to grant permission for more housing projects.

According to Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner, many people might be rushing to buy homes before new rules on stamp duty come into force in April.

He said: "This is likely to have brought forward a significant number of purchases, which in turn will probably result in a fall back in approvals during the spring and summer."

However, he said that property sales could increase in the next few few years as borrowing costs stay low and the living wage is introduced.

Most expensive ten

1. 1 Hey Croft, Whitefield, £357,000, January 11

2. 70 Hardmans Road, Whitefield, £325,000, January 8

3. 1 Beckley Avenue, Prestwich, £298,000, January 8

4. 17 Rochford Avenue, Whitefield, £289,000, January 7

5. 1 Rochford Close, Whitefield, £281,000, January 8

6. 30 Spring Grove, Whitefield, £275,00, January 11

7. 120 Butterstile Lane, Prestwich, £270,000, January 20

8. 3 Dovehouse Close, Whitefield, £235,000, January 19

9. 17 Tamar Close, Whitefield, £226,000, January 8

10. 6 Butterstile Avenue, Prestwich, £215,000, January 22

Cheapest three

1. 112 Oak Lane, Whitefield, £90,000, January 20

2. 38 Douglas Close, Whitefield, £90,000, January 22

3. 9 Elton Close, Whitefield, £94,000, January 15