What is happening with the sale of The Royals and when can we expect a new owner to take over?

Expectations were the Southend shopping centre would be in the hands of a new owner before the end of August.

Listed as on the market for £13.42 million, Savills, who are facilitating the sale on behalf of Cromwell Property Group, previously said the finalisation of sale was just ‘weeks away’ – that was on July 28.

As we enter September however, a sale has yet to fully materialise, leaving many wondering when it will be completed.

The ongoing saga stretches back to May, when Toby Ogilvie Smals, Savills director of investment, claimed a sale was eight weeks from conclusion.

Then again at the end of July Mr Smals said the sale was “a matter of weeks rather than months”.

When approached for comment on how the sale was progressing, Mr Smals gave no comment.

The High Street centre boats retail giants Boots, Tk Maxx, Tesco, Poundland, and H&M as tenants and Savills had previously indicated the former Debenhams store had potentially been earmarked as space for new flats buy the unnamed buyer.