NEF, the New Economics Foundation, is a UK think tank that tackles economic issues for the benefit of people and the planet. In summer 2005, NEF produced a report and survey that highlighted the loss of local identity on the nation's high streets. Their influential report shows that the individual character of many UK town centres is being lost to supermarket retailers, fast-food chains and global fashion outlets. Many town centres, according to the NEF have also lost the distinctive facades of their high streets.

In their 2005 survey, NEF reported that out of the UK towns surveyed, 42 per cent can be classified as clone towns and there are a further 26 per cent of 'border' towns under threat.

Clone Town London
The survey went on to highlight that of the London 'villages' surveyed, 48 per cent were clone towns.

Policy Solutions
The Clone Town Britain report recommended the following policy solutions to prevent UK towns from sliding further down the clone town route:
- Use planning law to promote opportunity for locally-owned stores
- Introduce a retail takeover moratorium
- Apply a limit of eight per cent market share
- Make complaints to the Office of Fair Trading confidential

To read more about the New Economics Foundation report, click here to visit their website.