Royal Victoria Place - Feasibility Study Report agreement to move forward
The council will move forward with plans to develop Royal Victoria Place shopping centre in Royal Tunbridge Wells town centre.
At a meeting on 16 July councillors considered the recently published report Royal Victoria Place - Feasibility Study Report and the various development options it presents and agreed with the recommendation to pursue Combined Option 1. This proposes to transform the centre into a mixed destination with a boutique cinema and leisure-led uses on Ely Court, a repurposed Palm Court that will include enhanced retail space, and residential development on Market Square.
When we bought the shopping centre in 2023 councillors made clear their commitment to ensuring that RVP continues to play a strong role in maintaining the attractiveness of the town for residents, employers and visitors alike. The extensive programme of engagement with these groups resulted in significant participation and generated over 2,800 responses that informed the feasibility study.
Combined Option 1 fulfils the objectives of the council’s Strategic Plan and aligns with feedback gathered during public engagement. It will create additional reasons to visit RVP and the surrounding area of Royal Tunbridge Wells at different times of day including the evening.
Cabinet Member for Economic Development Justine Rutland said: ‘I am very pleased that the decision has been made to progress the redevelopment of RVP and am especially grateful that it has cross-party support. The feasibility report demonstrates that this project has a solid, detailed evidence base and high levels of public engagement. We now have the opportunity to create something fantastic: new homes, new jobs, new shops and new entertainment and leisure activities for all ages that will support our existing businesses and make Tunbridge Wells the thriving place we all wish it to be.’
Councillors considered high level financial costs and designs as well as a confidential business case in making their decision. The detailed financial costs and designs will be included in the next phase of the project. The feasibility study report shows that Combined Option 1 is viable when considering the financial and wider economic benefits it generates; this is supported by The Economic Benefits Study in the feasibility report.
Next steps
Now that Combined Option 1 has been agreed the project will move to RIBA Stages 2 and 3 and a specialist design team will be engaged with a view to submitting a planning application in March 2026. If the project stays within the proposed timeline, construction will begin in the second half of 2027 and the project will be completed by the end of 2029.
More information and FAQs can be seen on our web page Royal Victoria Place - RVP.
We welcome your comments about Royal Victoria Place and the proposed development. Write to the council’s Property Investment team at RVP@TunbridgeWells.gov.uk.
The report
Royal Victoria Place - Feasibility Study Report and associated appendices including an Executive Summary, the Economic Benefits Study and the Public & Stakeholder Engagement Report are publicly available on the council’s website: https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/business-portal/royal-victoria-place
