High streets could become "zombies" unless planning rules change to make it easier for cafes, restaurants and homes to move in where shops can no longer operate, a retail expert has claimed.

"Unless the planning rules change and we can 'leisurefy' these streets we are looking at zombie towns," said Richard Brown, a director at property agent Jones Lang LaSalle which launched its predictions for the property market on Tuesday. He said that the top 50 UK high streets, including those in regional centres such as Oxford, Bath, Edinburgh and Brighton, were likely to get stronger as retailers concentrate their store portfolios on prime sites.

His comments come as a government-backed working group prepares to deliver its report on policy changes needed to support local high streets later this month. The recommendations to the Future High Streets Forum, a network of retailers, local government representatives and other industry experts chaired by high streets minister Brandon Lewis, are intended to inspire government action on planning and other issues such as parking charges, business rates and property issues. The forum was set up nearly a year ago to speed up change in the wake of TV retail guru Mary Portas' report into the problems of local high streets.

Business rates have been identified as a key area in need of a revamp. Despite the government's recent move to cap business rates for small shops in the Autumn statement, Brown said the property tax would continue to put struggling retailers under pressure. "An increase in business rates will make a number of sites unviable for retailers so that other types of business will need to step in."

He said the government, landlords, local authorities and retailers needed to work together to create lasting change that would enable struggling shopping streets to survive.

Brown refused to name the towns he saw most at risk, but a report produced last year named Morecambe, Runcorn, Margate, Blackpool, Fratton, Newport, Stockport and Blackburn as the towns suffering from the highest shop vacancies in the country.

James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, agreed that high streets needed to change to encompass a greater mix of uses to cope with changing times. He said that public services such as doctors' surgeries, schools as well as leisure services needed to be encouraged to set up in town centres to help boost visitor numbers.

But Lowman said that problems with changing the use of buildings were not the main issue. "I'm not sure there are millions of planning applications for leisure services that are being turned down," he said.

Instead, Lowman blamed the ease with which new out of town shopping developments could gain approval. "Out of town space is still being granted and so retailer investors are more nervous about town centre investments," he said. Only in November, Sainsbury's said it was ditching some complex and expensive town centre developments because it was now easier to build out of town.