Twenty-seven high streets are finalists in the Great British High Street competition, the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced.
The finalists will now be judged by experts from British Land, the Post Office and Holland & Barrett - alongside a public vote - before one will be crowned champion at the end of the year
Winners for each category will share £100,000 of prize money as well as training from Google’s digital taskforce and Twitter.
This year’s competition saw 900 entries across all 14 categories, up from 230 entries in 2015, and includes new categories for individuals and shops.
The competition is one of several government initiatives to boost the UK’s flagging high streets, including a £6.7bn package of business rates support to cut rates to 900,000 businesses – with 600,000 paying zero.
High streets minister Andrew Percy said: '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.
'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.'
Finalists:
- City: Derby, Norwich, Bristol
- Coastal: Prestatyn, Falmouth, Cleethorpes
- Local Centre: Hoole, Tunbridge Wells, Claygate
- London: Romford, Lower Marsh Waterloo, Myddleton Road Haringey
- Market Town (small): Thame, Chipping Norton, Hebden Bridge
- Market Town (large): Hinckley, Market Harborough, Bridgnorth
- Town Centre: Hemel Hempstead, Banbury, Blackburn
- Village: Langport, Kirkby Lonsdale, Pateley Bridge
- Rising Star: Dornoch, Stockton-on-Tees, Leominster