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.