The Government is looking for 12 run-down high streets to take a share of a £1 million cash injection to revive them as part of the Mary Portas pilot scheme.

Aimed to “breathe new life” into local town centres, the scheme will involve creating “town teams”, made up of notable figures in the community, such as the council, landlords, shopkeepers and local politicians.

Thanks to the rise of multichannel and online shopping, where goods can often be purchased more cheaply, high streets around the country have seen notable decline over the past months and years, with many independent retailers being replaced by large chains.

Local government minister Grant Shapps said of the problem: “Our high streets have faced stiff competition from internet shopping, and out-of-town shopping centres, leaving them unused, unloved and undervalued.” He went on to say that he was offering a golden ticket to 12 town centres across the country to become “Portas pilots”.

Prospective towns and cities, however, will have to show significant improvement plans for their high street.

In a bid to create “a new multifunctional, social high street”, Ms Portas said that “high streets need to offer more than shops, adding gyms and art galleries into the mix”.

Funds will be allocated according to value for money, while the Government searches for a mixture of locations. The hope is that these pilot schemes will lead the way for other town centres to implement their own changes.