A further £325m have now been added to the original £675m set out at the last autumn budget by the then Chancellor, Philip Hammond. The extra cash was made available yesterday by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Some 50 towns were shortlisted to receive cash from the fund earlier in the summer, but the shortlist has now been doubled – with the likes of Dover, Grimsby and Carlisle added.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said: “Our high streets are right at the heart of our communities and I will do everything I can to make sure they remain vibrant places where people want to go, meet and spend their money.