There was a time when I knew who owned most of the properties in London suburban high streets but so much has changed over the years I doubt I've kept up. As for provincial cities and towns, I doubt many if any of the companies that have been mentioned on this thread have much high street ownership. Once upon a time Land Securities through its subsidiary Ravenseft Properties Ltd owned the largest portfolio of high street shops but they gradually sold off most.
In central London, ownership tends to be any one of the landed Estates, eg:
https://whoownsengland.org/2017/10/28/who-owns-central-london/In Oxford and Cambridge the respective universities are substantial landowners.
Generally, ownership composition is insurance companies and institutions such as Aberdeen Standard, Columbia Threadneedle, Prudential, Aviva, Legal & General, CBRE Investors, La Salle Investment Management, Crown Estate, pension funds and sovereign investors; quoted propcos such as F&C REIT, British Land, Daejan (Freshwater Group), Capital & Counties, Custodian REIT, Intu, Hammerson, Land Securities, Derwent, Town Centre Securities, etc; higher profile but rarely in the news private investors such as William Pears Group, Orchard Street, Topland, Englander group, Church Commissioners, and lower/low profile thousands of private charities, family trusts, unlisted companies and private individuals, both domestic and overseas. owning between one and 100+ shops. Many long-established multiple retailers own their own freeholds and might have non-trading assets let to third parties. In provincial towns particularly, local shopkeepers might own a high proportion of the shops.
There isn't a readily accessible register of domestic ownership in England and Wales - but there is a register of overseas investor interests - but if you really want to know then comb through Companies House and the Land Registry. It costs £3 for a copy of title from the Land Registry but you'd need a post code, address and or/title number.
Fragmented ownership is a contributory factor in the failure by do-gooders wanting to save the high street.
General info here:
[url]https://www.primelocation.com/discover/property-news/top-10-richest-property-owners-in-the-uk/#aCFV20hmyQ6HdKhG.97
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https://www.bpf.org.uk/reits-and-property-companies