http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050606/344/fkh7n.html
(the more MTS toured, the more we chatted about things like this...)
Attack of the clone towns
Britain's urban areas are turning into bland "clone towns" dominated by chain stores, a new report says.
Only a third of high streets still have a distinct local character, researchers found.
Two fifths (41%) of urban centres are described as clone towns where independently-owned shops are in short supply.
Just over a quarter (26%) of high streets surveyed are classed as "border towns" which are in danger of losing their local distinctiveness.
Exeter was named the country's worst "clone town" of the 103 surveyed nationally, according to the New Economics Foundation (NEF) report.
The Devon cathedral city had one independent shop among those counted on its high street, the independent think tank said.
Hebden Bridge in the Yorkshire Pennines was named the community with the most varied and locally-distinct high street.
Another 27 high streets were surveyed in London, of which 48% were classed as clone towns. One third (33%) were 'home towns' with local character and independently-owned shops. The remaining 19% fell between these two categories.
Wimbledon's high street was named the most anonymous in the capital, while Shepherds Bush had the greatest variety.
The dwindling number of independent shops and a lack of variety on the high street erodes the identity of local communities according to the New Economics Foundation.
