Royal Victoria Place - Public Consultation Complete
Strong support for proposals following three rounds of extensive public engagement in Tunbridge Wells
RivingtonHark, as development advisors to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) and the wider project team have recently completed the third round of public engagement on plans for refurbishment and redevelopment of Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells.
Over 8,000 people took part in the engagement and demonstrated very strong support for the proposals which will include a new cinema, restaurants, cafes, competitive socialising and modernised retail spaces set around a new area of public realm and improved internal shopping centre environment.
Planning applications have now been submitted for the internal shopping centre works in Palm Court. The cinema and restaurant application on Ely Court is to follow later in the year.
This continues the positive momentum that TWBC, in partnership with RivingtonHark as Asset Manager and Development Managers, have built since acquiring the asset in late 2023.
More news to follow this summer.
RivingtonHark Appoints Nick Lee As Executive Director
RivingtonHark Welcomes Nick Lee to our Board as Executive Director
Nick brings more than 30 years of real estate experience, having previously holding influential roles at Knight Frank, Berkeley Group and CEG.
His appointment bolsters our development, asset management and strategic investment capabilities, particularly in the office and residential sectors, and further enhances the depth of our senior leadership team.
Throughout his career, Nick has been involved in the delivery of several high-profile schemes, including Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth and the award-winning EQ office development in Bristol. He has also secured planning consent for major projects such as the 1,500-unit BTR scheme opposite Birmingham New Street and a 72-storey mixed-use tower in Canary Wharf.
We are delighted to have him join the team and look forward to the expertise he brings as we continue to grow the business.
To find out more about Nick’s new role read Jessica Middleton-Pugh‘s article in Green Street News: Europe https://lnkd.in/e47TcWit
Palace Shopping Enfield Welcomes New Brands
A wave of new openings, lease renewals, and ongoing investment highlights the centre's growing strength as a key retail and leisure destination in north London
Palace Shopping in Enfield has strengthened its retail and F&B line-up with a wave of new openings and renewed lease commitments from existing occupiers—underlining the centre’s growing appeal to both brands and shoppers across north London.
Over the past six months additions to the retail lineup include Rituals, which opened in the former Office unit, bringing its well-being and beauty offer to Enfield. Incanda Living, a lifestyle homewares retailer, has also joined taking 1,400 sq ft previously occupied by Ann Summers. Further enhancing the F&B mix, Karak Chaii is set to arrive next, with the 1,100 sq ft café expected to open in May 2026.
Occupiers continue to have confidence in the centre renewing their leases as a result of strong store performance and footfall increases. Recently completed renewals include O2, The Works, The Body Shop and Card Factory.
The leasing activity reinforces Palace Shopping’s position as a resilient, community-focused retail destination and follows a multi-million pound programme of investment in mall and central square improvements designed to enhance the customer experience.
Proposals to further improve the scheme by introducing new homes as well as delivering a reconfigured retail and F&B provision are currently being progressed. The latest phase of the public engagement on these plans has recently been completed and will help inform the proposed scheme design.
Neil Woodward, Senior Asset Manager at RivingtonHark, commented:
“We are delighted to welcome Rituals to Palace Shopping. Their arrival highlights the attractiveness of the shopping centre as a key retail hub. We also look forward to Karak Chaii opening as it will undoubtedly enhance the visitor experience and aligns perfectly with our strategy of providing a diverse mix of tenants.”
Momentum builds in Sheffield's Heart of the City
Sheffield's Heart of the City continues to bolster its F&B, leisure and retail offer as momentum builds across Sheffield's flagship city-centre regeneration
Sheffield City Council’s Heart of the City development continues to attract a growing mix of national and independent retail, leisure and food and beverage operators as the scheme matures into one of the region’s most compelling city-centre destinations.
The regeneration has already delivered a critical mass of high-quality office space, residential accommodation and public realm, with its leisure and retail offer now rapidly strengthening as new occupiers commit to the estate.
New openings including Gus Wellness, which has launched a premium thermal wellness concept within the former Sunday School building on Cambridge Street. The venue offers professionally run sauna experiences alongside a Scandinavian-inspired café, exemplifying the project’s focus on adaptive re-use of heritage buildings to support contemporary uses.
Further enhancing the food and beverage offer, Maria Restaurant & Bar is set to open in Spring 2026 on Wellington Street. The authentic Italian dining concept comes from the team behind Bench, La Pearl and Bench La Cave and is expected to become a major new destination within the city centre.
These additions sit alongside established and popular operators including Hygge Café, Kapital Beer Hall & Restaurant, and the award-winning Cambridge Street Collective Food Hall, reinforcing Heart of the City’s position as a growing F&B and leisure hub with appeal across day and evening economies.
The retail line-up has also expanded significantly. Lifestyle fashion brand Damaged Society opened shortly before Christmas, joining a strong existing mix that includes Søstrene Grene, Fjällräven, Yards Store and Cream Store. This will be further strengthened by the imminent opening of Weekend Offender in Spring 2026, which has selected Heart of the City for its first physical store in England, alongside British brand Lucy & Yak, renowned for its distinctive dungarees, which is due to open in early 2026.
Collectively, the breadth of recent lettings highlights Heart of the City’s ability to attract high quality national and independent operators, drawn by a combination of strong placemaking, high-quality architecture, heritage-led regeneration and a growing resident and working population at the heart of Sheffield.
With a number of additional occupiers currently in advanced discussions, Heart of the City continues to build critical mass and reinforce its role as a key driver of Sheffield city-centre regeneration.
Mark Williams, Chairman at RivingtonHark, commented:
“What has already been achieved at Heart of the City is remarkable. The scheme continues to evolve at pace, consolidating its credentials as one of the best mixed-use city-centre regeneration projects in the country. The quality and diversity of occupiers seeking representation here is a direct reflection of the strength of the vision, the execution to date and the long-term confidence in Sheffield as a city.”
A Busy 2025 for RivingtonHark
A reflection of some of the highlights of the past year
It has been another busy year for the RivingtonHark business. There have been many company and project highlights throughout 2025 across the entire breadth of our business.
Company
We celebrated 25 years of the business changing and improving assets and places and also:
- Welcomed 4 new team members to the business
- Hosted our inaugural Town Centre Repair Shop which brought together 15 Local Authorities and Public Bodies for a round table discussion on the challenges and solutions to improving town centres
- Secured a Bronze medal from Ecovadis for our ESG work for the third year in a row putting us in the top 35% of companies that Ecovardis assess
- Enjoyed our annual Company Strategy trip to Madrid
Asset Management
Across our portfolio we completed 130+ leasing transactions, won 5 Green Apple awards (including a Gold Apple) 2 Revo awards reflecting the strength or our approach to sustainability at our centres.
Our project achievements include:
Sheffield: Being appointed as asset managers on Heart Of The City – the major 1.5m sq.ft regeneration scheme developed by Sheffield City Council – providing Grade A offices and a diverse mix of retail, leisure and F&B. Since appointment we have completed 11 retail, F&B and office lettings.
Norwich: Selling Castle Quarter having asset managed the project for 13 years and completed a successful repositioning strategy to create the city’s No1 retail, leisure and lifestyle destination – photo
Tunbridge Wells: Welcoming a new anchor tenant at Royal Victoria Place with the opening of Primark in a former BHS and securing Fenwick’s long-term future in the scheme by regearing their lease.
Liverpool: Opening XF Gym in the 30,000 sq.ft former Wilko store at St Johns and launching the marketing of The Beacon to find an exciting new occupier for our iconic building.
Newbury: Completing the final occupier agreements to enable vacant possession at the Kennet Centre having secured planning to demolish part of the centre and build 317 homes.
Development Management
In addition to being appointed to the NHS Property Services framework our team have:
Fareham: Been appointed as Development Manager and re-appointed as Asset Manager by Fareham Borough Council to deliver the Fareham Regeneration project.
Enfield: Completed public realm works at Palace Shopping as part of a multi-million pound improvement plan which also facilitated the refurbishment of Pearsons department store.
Swansea: Completed consultant appointments and contractor procurement for a new £25m, 35,000 sq.ft Grade A Public sector hub on behalf of Swansea Council.
Merthyr Tydfil: Completed a major strategy report for Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council identifying options for the redevelopment of the St Tydfil Centre.
Shrewsbury: On behalf of Shropshire Council, secured planning consent for a mixed-use scheme comprising 90,000 sq.ft offices, 255 residential units, 180 bed hotel, 12,900 sq.ft Medical use with associated highways and public realm.
Completed demolition of Riverside Shopping Centre, procured the contractor and started works for a new £20m (DHLUC funded) public park as phase one of the regeneration.
Consultations: Kicked off 3 public consultations for major planning applications in Enfield, Fareham and Tunbridge Wells for a mix of uses including 600 homes.
2026 is promising to be another busy year as we progress all of our project plans and work with our existing investor partners to acquire £250m of shopping centres!
Strong 2025 Performance at St Johns, Liverpool
Scheme Hits 97% Occupancy
Liverpool St Johns has reported one of its strongest years yet with letting momentum, trading performance and tenant fit-out investment demonstrating the scheme’s position as a thriving retail destination.
There have been many new tenants welcomed to St Johns in 2025 including the landmark arrival of XF Gym in the 30,000 sq.ft former Wilko unit – bringing a cutting-edge wellness and fitness space which added a new leisure dimension to the offer at the centre.
The continuing strength reflected in the F&B market at St Johns saw other new occupiers including Coffee Houses and Roast opening their doors and Pizza Dawgz coming soon.
This strong trading performance supported all tenants with lease expiries through the year to commit to renewals, many of which invested in store refits. In addition, some of our mall occupiers had confidence to upsize into retail units including Cake Box who needed additional space to satisfy customer demand.
The overall tenant investment in new store fitouts and refits over the course of the year amounted to in excess of £6m.
There are exciting plans for the year ahead at the centre with options for the Beacon (former Radio City Tower) being explored to introduce a new destinational use that will bring additional footfall and another reason to come to St Johns.
Mark Harvey says “St Johns has a special place at the heart of Liverpool and it is great to see shoppers love visiting and retailers wanting to be here. We are not resting on our laurels though and are looking to evolve the customer experience by bringing in further leisure and non-retail uses in response to customer feedback – introducing XF Gym was the first step in that but there is more to come. The iconic Beacon has given us a fantastic opportunity to add an exiting use to St Johns’ offer and we look forward to sharing more on this soon.”
RivingtonHark Appoints A New Investment Consultant
Guy Harrison appointed Investment Consultant at RivingtonHark
RivingtonHark are pleased to announce the appointment of Guy Harrison as an Investment Consultant, strengthening the firm’s capability as it continues to grow its UK shopping centre investment portfolio.
RivingtonHark is currently working with existing investment partners to assemble a £250 million portfolio of shopping centre assets across the UK which Guy will help deliver.
Guy brings more than 30 years’ experience in retail investment agency, with a particular focus on shopping centres and town centre retail. Prior to joining RivingtonHark, he held senior roles at Lunson Mitchenall and CBRE, advising a broad range of clients including institutions, property companies, and public sector bodies.
Mark Williams, Chairman of RivingtonHark, commented:
“I have known Guy for over 20 years, and his extensive retail investment agency experience, combined with his analytical approach, make him an excellent addition to the RivingtonHark team.”
Guy Harrison added:
“I am delighted to be joining RivingtonHark at a pivotal time when shopping centres are becoming increasingly attractive as an investment case and the flow of stock is expected to improve. The company’s disciplined investment philosophy and focus on partner outcomes strongly align with my own approach, and I look forward to contributing to its continued success.”
Primark Comes to Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells
"Retail Royalty" Opens New Store
All good things come to those who wait as evidenced by the long line of excited shoppers queuing to be first into the new Primark store which has opened at Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells, just in time for Christmas.
The town had long been a location that the retailer had wanted to open a store and their arrival into the former BHS store at the heart of the town brings a long vacant space back into active use and significantly strengthens the fashion and homeware offer of the scheme.
Since being appointed asset and development manager by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, RivingtonHark has worked closely with the Council and Primark to deliver this store and opening its doors just before Christmas has created a real buzz in the town.
As well as being the number one retailer name that shoppers wanted to bring to the town, Primark has also created over 100 local jobs and will drive footfall through the centre and wider town.
The opening wraps up a transformative year for RVP which has welcomed 10 new occupiers and secured Oliver Bonas in an upsized 5,500 sq ft.
Mark Harvey, Executive Director at RivingtonHark said “This is a significant milestone in our plans to revitalise the scheme and wider town centre and follows the recent long term commitment of Fenwick, another anchor tenant of RVP, to the centre. We are aiming to deliver other high quality occupiers into RVP including leisure and F&B brands as part of the Council’s ambitious longer term plans which we are currently consulting the public and stakeholders on.”
Castle Quarter, Norwich - Sold
Asset Sale Completes Repositioning Journey
So the time has come to bid a fond farewell to Castle Quarter after asset managing the scheme for 13 years following the recent sale to Maritime Capital. It is one of the more unique assets we have been involved with – having been built into a hill next to a medieval castle and required some creative thinking to respond to the changes in the retail market over that time.
We navigated these changes by devising and delivering a strategy that has transformed the centre from a retail focused scheme to the number one family retail, leisure and lifestyle scheme in the city; the floor space is now evenly split between retail and leisure / F&B.
A big thank you to Munroe K, the centre team, Jamieson Mills, Roche and MS for their hard work in helping us to deliver (amongst other things):-
- Refurbished malls, entrances and rebranded the centre
- Leasing of 100,000 sq ft to leisure occupiers (including UK’s first Boom Battle Bar and Putt Putt Social)
- Regeared leases with key tenants including Boots, TK Maxx and Vue (which included a recliner refit)
- Installation of PV panels – providing 5% of the centre’s energy
- Numerous Awards including a prestigious Green Apple (Gold) Award for ESG work
Norwich Castle, next to Castle Quarter, has recently reopened after a £27.5M refurbishment and begins the next chapter in its story; Castle Quarter also starts its next chapter…
Major Transformational Plans Across Three Town Centres in the South East
Consultation, Consultation, Consultation
As part of its work Repurposing, Rejuvenating and Regenerating shopping centres across the UK RivingtonHark is consulting stakeholders and the general public, ahead of the planning process, on major transformational plans across 3 town centres in the South East.
The first to be aired was in Fareham where tenants together with a wide range of organisations and in excess of 600 members of the public were engaged in mid-November. Engagement regarding Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells is ongoing with the exhibition open for the second weekend this Saturday. Consultation on the plans to remodel Palace Gardens in Enfield opens next week.
This engagement has included Westminster with all 3 local MP’s providing valuable input on the proposals and allowing us to hear the broader considerations across the boroughs.
In combination these schemes represent c£500million of urban regeneration and will deliver the repurposing of over 300,000 sq ft of underperforming and over supplied retail space. In doing so they will collectively deliver over 500 new homes, a new NHS Health Hub, new public realm, environmental improvements, new leisure facilities and enhancements to the evening economies for all 3 towns.
RivingtonHark is delivering these schemes on behalf of both public and private sector clients. Earlier this year it helped assemble and procure highly experienced professional teams for all 3 projects and planning applications for each scheme are anticipated in 2026.
David Lewis, Managing Director @ RivingtonHark “these significant and impactful projects are a great reflection of how we bring our asset management and development management expertise together to make shopping centres fit for purpose and sustainable for the future whilst delivering meaningful change to our town centres”