Rich List: Whittaker’s wealth falls 18%

Peel Holdings founder and chairman John Whittaker saw £240m wiped off his personal worth last year but remains a billionaire, according to the annual Sunday Times Rich List.

Whittaker slipped 22 places from 28 to 50 in the list of Britain's 1,000 richest people due to falling property values.

However, other regional players enjoyed rises in their wealth including Matalan's John Hargeaves who returns to the billionaire bracket, Bruntwood owners the Oglesbys, Trevor Hemmings at Northern Trust – bouncing back after a big fall last year – and Emerson's Peter Jones and family.

Some of the North West names involved in property, retail and investment, alongside their position in the list, are:

No. 3 Duke of Westminster, £6,750m, wealth rose £250m, 4% on 2009

45 Lord Grantchester and the Moores family, Littlewoods heirs, £1,200m

50 John Whittaker, Peel Holdings, £1,060m, -£240m

51 John Hargreaves, Matalan, Liverpool, £1,020m, +£690m, 209%

90 Peter Jones and family, Emerson Group, £673m, +£117m

92 Fred and Peter Done, BetFred/Peninsula Business Services, Manchester, £660m, +£150m

121= Jim Mellon, property and finance, Isle of Man, £530m, +£30m

121= Phillip Sheppard and family, European Metal Recycling, Warrington, £530m, +£200m

132 Trevor Hemmings, Northern Trust, Chorley, £500m, +£200m

166 Tom Morris, Home Bargains, Liverpool, £411m, +£222m

190 Steve Morgan, Redrow, Deeside, £350m

214 Michael Oglesby and family, Bruntwood, £320m, +£25m

251 Lord Alliance and family, N Brown, £265m, +£57m

260 Brian Kennedy, Patrick Properties, Wilmslow, £250m, +50m

336= Alan Murphy, Nikal, Manchester/Monaco, £190m, +£10m

336= Dave Whelan, DW Sports Fitness, £190m

354 Stuart Wall, Opal Property Group, Manchester, £180m

398 Henry Moser, Blemain Group, Manchester, £165m

405 Brian Scowcroft and Janet Lefton, Alard Properties, Carlisle and Leigh, £160m

421 Malcolm Walker, Iceland, Deeside, £157m, +£103m

522 John Seddon, Seddon Group, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, £126m, +£41m

596 William Ainscough, Langtree Group, Newton-le-Willows, St Helens, £110m

633 John Morphet, Pure Leisure, Carnforth, Lancashire, £105m, +£20m

808 Melvyn and Delia Grodner, Atmore, Liverpool, £80m

875 David Russell, Property Alliance Group, Manchester, £75m

953 Andrew Tinkler and William Stobart, Stobart Group, Carlisle Warrington Widnes, £69m, +£17m