Clitheroe ranked as one of Britain's best shopping locations

The town was placed at number 34 in the annual list of 1,000 retail centres compiled by strategic retail property consultancy, Harper Dennis Hobbs climbing five places compared to 2021’s rankings.

And Skipton came in at number eight in the list.

The HDH Vitality Ranking determines the health of high streets and shopping centres by analysing a number of factors, including vacancy rates, resident’s movement and suitability to local consumer demands.

Buckinghamshire market town Beaconsfield topped the list for a second successive year.

Andy Metherell, head of retail consultancy at HDH, explained, “The latest HDH Vitality Ranking reflects the realities that consumers and occupiers have had to face over the past year.

"The Delta variant’s effect on public health and the uncertainty around the impact of Omicron variant resulted in the continuation of restrictions on consumer movement and occupier trading, leading to our rankings being comparable to the listing in 2021.”

Small commuter towns, often with significant levels of wealth, retained their higher rankings this year, as remote working led to more localised consumer spending.

Dan Hildyard, head of UK retail at HDH, added: “Throughout 2020 and 2021, the large traditional retail centres suffered as travel restrictions and evolving consumer behaviour resulted in more people shopping locally and through digital channels.

"However, as restrictions have eased, it is encouraging to see city centres bouncing back.”