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Review of Berkeley Homes Royal Wells Park development at former Kent and Sussex Hospital site in Tunbridge Wells

By: Ed McConnell emcconnell@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 00:01, 30 March 2017

A large cash injection and a generous dose of Egyptian cotton has helped revive a former hospital, but who exactly will be able to live there?

The 243 luxury apartments and houses that now fill the leafy streets of Royal Wells Park are a far cry from the outdated wards and peeling waiting rooms that formed Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells, until 2013.

But you’ll still come across eager buyers willing to give their right arm for a bed at this new development.

The Royal Wells Park development
The former Kent and Sussex Hospital on Mount Ephraim in Tunbridge Wells

Located just off Mount Ephraim in the heart of the royally affluent commuter town, Berkeley Homes’ project couldn’t really be better placed.

There’s several schools within strolling distance – including the development’s own Wells Free School – and the town’s station is a stone’s throw away, and if the top of the range interiors don’t suit your tastes there’s always Wilko just down the road at Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.

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But how much will all of this set you back? Three hundred grand? Try again. Half a million? Closer. The cheapest flats here are £510,000 but if you need a little more room, houses start at £699,000 and spiral all the way up to a whopping £1.65million.

The show home was designed by Phoenix Interior Designers

So, who’s able to afford these prices? According to property consultant Simon Biddulph, of Knight Frank, people who sell their pads in Fulham and want something a little less cosy.

Peter Smith, managing director of Berkeley Homes’ Eastern Counties division, says about 50% of the new owners are from the capital. It could end up being higher when all the properties are bought – the vast majority have already been snapped up, many off plan.

In a market where buyers are scrambling over each other to get their hands on well located real estate it’s not exactly surprising.

Simon Biddulph of Knight Frank

The interiors of both show homes – priced at a modest £1.25m and £1m – have been expertly pieced together by Phoenix Interior Design’s Susan White.

Everything has been thought out intricately, from the textured wallpaper to the small but perfectly formed Georgian-type garden, and all of it, the whole estate, is the epitome of luxury living.

Mr Biddulph says the market is refusing to slow down and despite a slight blip last year caused by Brexit highly priced homes like these will be big business for many years to come.

Half the new owners at Royal Wells Park are from London

At Royal Wells Park you’d need a salary of £150,000 and a deposit of £140,500 to snap up the cheapest house.

If your sights are set on the highest priced property however you’ll need to earn £250,000 and have an astronomical £413,000 in the bank.

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To put that into perspective the average wage for an individual in Kent is £28,000 and according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) starter homes in Tunbridge Wells cost £270,000, meaning buyers would need a salary of £51,000 and £45,916 in savings.

A £1.25million show home at the luxury development

Royal Wells Park has breathed life back into a dilapidated corner of this lovely town but at what cost?

There's no doubt the value put on these properties will price locals out of the market, but like many similar developments across the county as long as there's a buyer willing to part with a small fortune it's a sign of things to come.

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