Royal Victoria Place shopping centre redevelopment
Full Council on 16 July 2025 agreed to progress with the design of new shopping and leisure facilities, and new homes at the RVP shopping centre.
The proposed scheme will focus on the redevelopment of the eastern end of the centre (Palm Court, Ely Court and Market Square). It will deliver a leisure led and mixed-use development of Ely Court based around a multi-screen boutique cinema, leisure and dining offer in combination with improvements to the retail environment and offer in Palm Court and a residential development on Market Square. The scheme will transform the centre, supporting the centre as a focus for the community, and strengthen the Council’s investment in the town centre.
What is the proposed area for redevelopment?
See a plan of RVP and the key development sites.
What is proposed?
The executive summary of the feasibility study considered by Full Council includes an image indicating the potential redevelopment proposed in the option to be designed:
Feasibility Study Executive Summary
What happens next?
The scheme will now be further developed with the aim of applying for planning permission in Spring 2026. The design team appointments will now be progressed and completed to enable the work to commence. It is anticipated that further rounds of community engagement will commence shortly.
The key dates in the proposed timeline are:
| Milestone | Date | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Full Council – redevelopment option decision | 16 July 2025 | 
|
| Tender award and design team appointment | August 2025 | |
| RIBA 2 design completed | October 2025 | |
| Public engagement | January to February 2026 | |
| Submit planning application | March 2026 | |
| Planning application determined | July 2026 | |
| RIBA 3 design completed | July 2026 | |
| Full Council – scheme delivery decision | October 2026 | |
| Potential construction start | Quarter 2 2027 | |
| Potential construction completion | Quarter 3 2029 |
Royal Victoria Place – Changing Times (Project Update)
Plans for the regeneration of Royal Victoria Place remain on track, following extensive public engagement last year.
More than 836 people, including residents and key stakeholders, took part in a 19-day engagement period, providing 434 pieces of feedback on emerging proposals for the town centre site.
The proposals included leisure uses and a boutique cinema at Ely Court, improvements to retail and community space at Palm Court, and new town centre homes at Market Square.
In response to ongoing design development, Market Square will now be progressed as a separate phase. This will allow the regeneration of Ely Court and Palm Court to move forward while further work is undertaken to ensure the right residential mix and infrastructure requirements can be delivered.
The Council remains committed to delivering high-quality, sustainable regeneration that respects the town’s historic character and responds to local priorities.
A final round of public engagement will take place in March ahead of the anticipated planning submission around Easter 2026.
Royal Victoria Place is Changing - have your say!
See the evolving designs and share your views. Find out more at RVPfuture.com