High street Birmingham

Voting closes on 18 November for Britain’s best high street


The government today announced the towns shortlisted as the nation’s best high streets.

Its Great British High Streets competition revealed 24 finalists including cities such as Bristol and Derby,

This year’s competition saw a record 900 entries across 14 categories, including new categories for individuals and shops.

Winners in each category will win a share of prize pot worth £100,000. They will also receive expert training from Google’s digital taskforce for shops, bars and restaurants and a trip to Twitter UK’s London office to boost their social media skills.

“Our high streets are the life and soul of towns, villages and cities across the country and the record number of competition entries this year is proof of their continued importance to local life,” said high streets minister Andrew Percy.

“There are bustling high streets up and down the country from North London to Northumberland and now is the time you can show support for your local area and get voting.”

Voting closes on 18 November.

Finalists:

City: Derby, Norwich, Bristol

Coastal: Prestatyn (Denbighshire), Falmouth (Cornwall), Cleethorpes (North East Lincolnshire)

Local Centre: Hoole (Cheshire), Tunbridge Wells (Kent), Claygate (Surrey)

London: Romford, Lower Marsh Waterloo, Middleton Road Haringey

Market Town (small): Thame (Oxfordshire), Chipping Norton (Oxfordshire), Hebden Bridge (West Yorkshire)

Market Town (large): Hinckley (Leicestershire), Market Harbrough (Leicestershire), Bridgnorth (Shropshire)

Town Centre: Hemel Hempstead (Hertfordshire), Banbury (Oxfordshire), Blackburn (Lancashire)

Village: Langport (Somerset), Kirkby Lonsdale (Cumbria), Pateley Bridge (North Yorkshire)

Rising Star: Dornoch (Highland), Stockton-on-Tees (Tees Valley) Leominster (Herefordshire)