Welcome to the engagement website for the future of Royal Victoria Place
The plan is to transform Royal Victoria Place into a more vibrant destination for shopping, dining, leisure and housing that is active throughout the day and into the evening.
The plans – shaped by three rounds of extensive public engagement – focus on:
A multi-screen boutique cinema to meet long-standing local demand, alongside new restaurants, cafés and leisure spaces at Ely Court
Improvements to the existing retail offer at Palm Court
These changes will help to increase footfall, support local businesses and strengthen the evening economy in Royal Tunbridge Wells. The Palm Court elements have now been submitted for planning approval to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
A separate residential development at Market Square is also being explored, with designs progressing on a different timeline to ensure the right scheme is delivered.
Current Status
Plans to revitalise Palm Court as part of the wider regeneration of Royal Victoria Place (RVP) in Tunbridge Wells have taken a major step forward with the Borough Council’s planning committee resolving to grant planning permission for the Palm Court proposals at the end of June.
Progress is also being made towards delivering the new boutique cinema and family-friendly dining at Ely Court. Whilst the Friendly Societies Building frontage is retained in the plans, a Certificate of Immunity from Listing application has been submitted to Historic England – this is a formal process that establishes whether a building should be protected for its historic importance and will provide greater clarity when bringing forward the plans once resolved.