Mary Portas has been appointed to lead an independent review into the future of the High Street, The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister announced today.

The purpose of the review will be to identify what government, local authorities and businesses can do to promote the development of more prosperous and diverse high streets.

It will also form part of the Government’s wider Growth Review which is examining how we can remove the barriers to achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries.

As part of her review Mary Portas will advise on how Government, businesses and shoppers can :

- Address the problem of vacant shops
- Adopt new business models for the high street that fit the needs of the modern shopper.
- Prevent the proliferation of ‘clone towns
- Increase the number of small and independent retailers doing business in local town centres.

The review was launched at an engagement event held at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

As part of her review Mary Portas will visit a number of town centres and engagement events across England.

Mary Portas will present the review to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Edward Davey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), by autumn 2011.