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Royal Victoria Place gets the nod for £70m leisure and retail extension

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council have given the green light for a new £70m extension at the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Hermes Investment Management, who are managing the project, are to add an extra 173,000 sq ft of new retail, food and beverage, and leisure space to the shopping centre’s current footprint of 300,000 sq ft.

Designed by Haskoll Architects, the extension will see 120,000 sq ft of new retail space, more than 22,000 sq ft for food and beverage space and a 30,000 sq ft cinema.

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, Royal Victoria Place will now further capitalise on the potential that its affluent catchment offers, and we are delighted with the result.”

The retail section of the new extension will be anchored by department store Fenwick, who currently have an outlet spread over three floors at the shopping centre.

Hugo Fenwick, Group Trading Director at Fenwick, commented: “We are delighted Hermes Investment Management is developing an enhanced leisure component to the scheme, which will ensure Royal Victoria Place 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.”

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