The Royals in Southend has teamed up with the UK’s leading independent shopping centre leasing consultancy Lunson Mitchenall.

The firm provides advice to more than 50 shopping and leisure destinations across the country and, according to its website, it has now partnered up with The Royals.

The partnership has sparked hopes it will help revitalise The Royals, which to many has struggled recently.

The Royals has been taken over by the real estate investor based in Warrior Square, The Regis Group.

At the time of the purchase, bosses shared their aim of wanting to “ensure the success and longevity of the shopping centre”.

Matt Dent, Labour councillor responsible for business, culture, and tourism, hoped this was the start of something new for the Royals.

He said: “I think this is good news. The Royals has struggled quite a bit in recent years to fill vacant units.

“I hope this consultancy will help them, not just fill the shopping centre, but bring in new and interesting businesses. New shops, different names, things we don’t necessarily have on offer.

“I hope it will help reinvigorate the Royals, which will bring great benefits to the shopping centre, and to the wider High Street.”

Resident Helen Shine said: “As a local girl and supporter of all things Southend, I’m so pleased to hear The Royals is forming this new partnership.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what plans will be put into place to fill up empty shops and units that stood empty in there for far too long.

“It was really sad to see Debenhams shut as my mum worked there and The Royals opened for many, many years, until she retired. So, hopefully this will breathe some new life into the Royals and also Debenhams.”

The Royals provides 282,000 sq.ft of retail accommodation at the southern end of the High Street in Southend.

Key retailers in The Royals include Boots, TK Maxx, Tesco, Costa Coffee, Toni & Guy, Pandora, Vision Express and Poundland.

However, vacant spaces in the shopping centre still remain including the sizable former Debenhams unit, which closed in May 2021.