A further 15 town centres are to be given extra cash for regeneration projects following the review by Mary Portas, the Government has announced.
The second wave of “Portas pilots” will entitle the beneficiaries to a share of £1.5m to help improve their town centres. Those not selected from the c370 high streets that applied will be able to bid for a share of a £5.5m fund for individual projects.
All the Pilots will be supported by retail industry giants such as Boots, as well as Mary Portas's team and the government.
The 15 new towns are in addition to the 12 Portas Pilots that were chosen in May to trial measures suggested in Portas's review of UK high streets.
The 15 new towns are Ashford, Kent; Berwick, Scotland; Braintree, Essex; Brighton, Sussex; Hatfield, Hertfordshire; Leamington, Warwickshire; Liverpool; Waterloo, SE1; Lewisham, SE1; Tower Hamlets, E14; Loughborough, Leicestershire; Lowestoft, Suffolk; Morecambe, Lancashire; Rotherham, South Yorkshire and Tiverton, Devon.
Last week, the Department for Communities announced measures to try to revitalise High Streets, in response to recommendations in Portas's initial report.
Ministers say they will cut red tape to make it easier for business people to move into empty premises and open so-called pop-up shops. Retailers will now also have up to two years to apply for planning permission instead of having to do so immediately.
