Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s planning committee has resolved to grant permission for improvements to Palm Court at Royal Victoria Place, with a boutique cinema and new dining planned for Ely Court to follow.
Shoppers in Royal Tunbridge Wells will see the town’s main shopping centre change markedly after the borough council’s planning committee resolved to grant planning permission for the Palm Court proposals at Royal Victoria Place (RVP) at the end of June. A significant step forward — and one that clears the way for a revamped retail offer in one of the centre’s key areas.
The wider regeneration covers three distinct parts of RVP. Palm Court is furthest forward, with planning now resolved. At Ely Court, work is progressing towards a multi-screen boutique cinema alongside new restaurants, cafés and family-friendly dining, though that element hasn’t yet reached the same planning stage. A separate residential scheme at Market Square is earlier still, with designs being developed on a different timeline altogether.
Three rounds of public engagement have shaped the plans, giving local people repeated chances to say what they actually want from the centre. The stated aim is to keep RVP busy well beyond traditional shopping hours — more reasons to be in town after the shops shut, in other words. Whether that works will depend on what eventually opens.
Heritage is also in play. The frontage of the Friendly Societies Building is retained, and a Certificate of Immunity from Listing has been submitted to Historic England. That’s a formal process asking the national heritage body to rule on whether the building deserves legal protection. The outcome will clarify how much flexibility developers have around that part of the site.
Palm Court, then, is the first piece to clear a major planning hurdle. Detailed conditions still need finalising before work can begin.
Royal Tunbridge Wells shopping centre wins planning approval for Palm Court overhaul Quiz
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