Royal Victoria Place
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{infobox shopping mall
| name = Royal Victoria Place
| image = Entrance to The Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells - geograph.org.uk - 1365764.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| caption = Entrance to Royal Victoria Place from Calverley Road
| location = Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
| coordinates = {{coord |51|8|4|N|0|15|56|E|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| opening_date = 21 October 1992
| owner = Tunbridge Wells Borough Council {{smaller|(2023)}}
| manager =
| developer = MEPC{{Cite report|date=2019-10-24|url=https://democracy.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/documents/s45238/10%20Royal%20Victoria%20Place%20Tunbridge%20Wells%20Update.pdf|title=Royal Victoria Place Tunbridge Wells Update|website=Tunbridge Wells Borough Council|access-date=2022-08-21|archive-date=21 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821115430/https://democracy.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/documents/s45238/10%20Royal%20Victoria%20Place%20Tunbridge%20Wells%20Update.pdf|url-status=live}}
| number_of_anchors = 7
| floor_area = {{convert|1000000|ft2|m2|abbr=on}} gross floor area including over {{convert|300000|ft2|m2|abbr=on}} covered retail
| floors = {{ubl|8 - parking|3 - retail}}
| website = [http://www.royalvictoriaplace.co.uk Official website]
| footnotes =
}}
Royal Victoria Place is a British, partially covered shopping centre in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. In 2019, it contained 99 retail units, as well as the Camden Centre, a community facility managed by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.{{Cite web|url=https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/community-and-leisure/community-centres/camden-centre|title=Camden Centre|website=Tunbridge Wells Borough Council|access-date=21 August 2022|archive-date=31 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331022201/https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/community-and-leisure/community-centres/camden-centre|url-status=live}}
History
Royal Victoria Place was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales on 21 October 1992. Construction took 36 months and built over the railway line between Tunbridge Wells and High Brooms stations.{{cite web |url=http://www.travelbritain.com/England/Tunbridge/index.html |title=Royal Tunbridge Wells And Pantiles |access-date=4 September 2007 |website=Travel Britain |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094324/http://www.travelbritain.com/England/Tunbridge/index.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://westfield.com/royalvictoriaplace/news/MemoriesofPrincessDiana.html |title=Memories of Princess Diana |access-date=4 September 2007 |website=Westfield Group |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930182642/http://westfield.com/royalvictoriaplace/news/MemoriesofPrincessDiana.html |archive-date=30 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}{{Cite web|url=https://spenceltd.co.uk/victoria-place-shopping-centre-refurbishment/|title=Victoria Place Shopping Centre Refurbishment|access-date=21 August 2022|archive-date=15 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015225021/https://spenceltd.co.uk/victoria-place-shopping-centre-refurbishment/|url-status=live|website=Spence}}
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council owns the shopping centre freehold and is obliged to pay 10% of certain refurbishment costs. The rent it receives varies with gross rentals but as of 2019, is a minimum of £882,000 per year. The head lease from the council runs until 2192 and is currently held by BL Tunbridge Wells Ltd, a subsidiary of British Land.
Hermes Investment Management bought out its fellow head lessee, Westfield Group's interest in 2012, and sold the whole to British Land for £96 million in 2018. BL Tunbridge Wells Ltd wrote off the value of its property by £15 million in 2019; £37 million in 2020, and a further £31 million in 2021.{{Cite news|work=Kent Online|first=Alan|last=Smith|title=British Land buys Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells|access-date=2022-08-21|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/weald/news/royal-victoria-place-gets-new-owners-180137|date=2018-03-21|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725185355/https://www.kentonline.co.uk/weald/news/royal-victoria-place-gets-new-owners-180137/|url-status=live}}{{Cite report|title=BL Tunbridge Wells Ltd Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2021|via=Companies House|date=2021}}{{Cite report|title=BL Tunbridge Wells Ltd Annual Report and Accounts for the period ending 31 March 2019|via=Companies House|date=2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://royalvictoriaplace.co.uk/ Official website]
- {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Royal Tunbridge Wells}}
{{Westfield United Kingdom}}
{{Shopping centres in Southeast England}}