A further 15 town centres are to receive regeneration funding as Portas Pilots, housing minister Grant Shapps has announced.
Those selected will be entitled to a share of £1.5m in funding for town centre improvements, which includes a £300,000 investment from the Greater London Authority and the Department for Communities and Local Government for the three London Boroughs chosen for the programme.
The 15 new areas to be provided with financial and advisory support are: Ashford, Berwick, Braintree, Brighton, Hatfield, Leamington, Liverpool, Waterloo in the London Borough of Lambeth, Forest Hill in the London Borough of Lewisham, Chrisp Street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Loughborough, Lowestoft, Morecambe, Rotherham, and Tiverton.
The 392 unsuccessful applicants have been asked by Mr Shapps to sign a national pledge and become Town Team Partners.
Being provided with a package of support worth £5.5m, Town Team Partners would have the opportunity to access events, mentoring support and an online community, being able to regularly meet with other partners and the 27 Portas Pilots.
A new web based encyclopaedia, 10 Ways to Help the High Street, will also be made available to Town Team Partners by the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM). The ATCM will also work alongside Town Team Partners to help redevelopment proposals proceed successfully