Royal Victoria Place gains planning consent

Plans for a 70 million pound extension to the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre in Tunbridge Wells has gained planning consent.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council granted planning permission for Royal Victoria Place to be extended by around 173,000 square foot, to allow new retail, food and beverage, and leisure space including a cinema to be added to the centre.

The extension to the 300,000 square foot shopping centre will see the corner of Calverley Road and Camden Road redeveloped and the refurbishment of the historic former Friendly Societies building.

Chris Taylor, head of private markets at Hermes Investment Management, said: “Achieving this planning consent represents both Hermes Investment Management and the local authority’s strong commitment to enhancing the status of the town’s retail and leisure offer.

“Already the region’s dominant shopping destination, RVP will now further capitalise on the potential that its affluent catchment offers, and we are delighted with the result.”

It is hoped that the development will create up to 275 jobs and bring in an additional 6.9 million pounds a year to the local economy.

Hugo Fenwick, group trading director at Fenwick, the main anchor in the scheme, said: “We are delighted Hermes Investment Management is developing an enhanced leisure component to the scheme, which will ensure RVP becomes the foremost destination within a 30-minute drive-time of Tunbridge Wells. Fenwick is very supportive of the aspirational tenant mix and the increased customer dwell time as a direct results of this outstanding redevelopment.”