It is the second group of towns that have been chosen to receive funding to run pilot schemes, following a review of the high streets by Mary Portas, commissioned by the Government. Funding under the scheme has now been awarded to 27 towns across England.
Of the 15 new 'town teams', three were funded and selected by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. The Government scheme is similar to other regeneration schemes currently taking place across London.
The successful bids come from a mix of areas, and include town centres and high streets in market towns, villages, large towns, new towns, coastal towns and suburban areas, the Government said. The pilots cover both high and low average income levels and high and low empty shop vacancy rates.
Pilots were judged on their "transformational vision" for their high street and the amount of community support they had.
A £5.5 million package of support was also pledged to help support the 392 towns that submitted bids, but were unsuccessful. Those who sign up to the Town Team Partners scheme would have access to events, workshops and seminars across the country addressing key challenges facing struggling town centres.
The aim of the support is to help those towns put elements of their plans into actions, said Shapps. Direct mentoring support and visits from experts with a range of relevant backgrounds would be available and regular meetings would be set up between town teams across the country, to allow teams to share experiences and lessons learned, said Shapps.
The Town Team Partners will also benefit from a new web-based encyclopaedia, called 100 Ways to Help the High Street, which will be hosted and run by the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM). The ATCM will also work with the areas selected as Town Team Partners to help them progress their proposals.
"Today I'd like to congratulate the 15 town teams that, in the face of stiff competition, have been selected to be the next Portas Pilots," said Shapps. "But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I'm determined that we don't turn our backs on the other 392 Town Teams who put their plans forward to revive their high streets."
