The Kensington Society

Welcome to the website of the Kensington Society.

Formed in 1953, the Kensington Society strives to ensure that our part of London retains its magnificent heritage of buildings, parks and gardens alongside the best of contemporary architecture and design.

With more than 700 members and some 30 affiliated societies, we are very active in planning issues and exert a real influence on planning decisions in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

Events

We also have a programme of lectures, talks, walks and visits, covering a wide range of subjects.  The events offer the chance to meet your Kensington neighbours. All upcoming society events can be found here.

Annual report

Our annual report is produced in the spring and has both an update report on the activities of the society as well as interesting and topical articles relating to Kensington. The most recent annual report can be read here, and all annual reports since 1961 can be found in the society archive.

Newsletter

Our newsletter is produced in the autumn. The most recent newsletter can be read here, and all newsletters since 2006 can be found in the society archive.

Membership

The annual membership subscription is £15 and you can join here.

The news blog (click to see all)

The RBKC council rejects TfL’s cycle lane plan

At the public meeting about TfL's bicycle lane plan for Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park Avenue, held in Kensington Town Hall on 13 June, three days before the public consultation ended, the council leader Elizabeth Campbell announced to the 600 attending residents that the council would reject the plan. This somewhat chocked the London mayor’s walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman, as the council previously had said that it would be neutral about the plan until the result of the public consultation had been published.
Read more

Public meeting on 13 June about TfL’s cycle “highway” plan

The Kensington Society will be hosting a large public meeting in Kensington Town Hall's Great Hall at 6.30pm on Thursday 13 June, about Transport for London's plan to create a dual bicycle lane along the south side of Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park Avenue. Staff from TfL will be present to answer questions and listen to residents' concerns.
Read more

Update: Third public hearing about Newcombe House

Following housing secretary James Brokenshire's decision to call in the application for the third version of Newcombe House scheme on 14 March, the Planning Inspectorate has now announced that there will be a third public hearing about the planned development in Notting Hill Gate on 5-14 November 2019.
Read more

Latest planning news (click to see all)

Update: New Kensington Forum application approved by Khan

After a public hearing in City Hall on Friday 21 June, London mayor Sadiq Khan decided to grant planning permission for the revised Kensington Forum Hotel application, subject to the completion of a legal agreement. His decision, which includes the approval of a new 102 meter high hotel that will be the highest building in the borough, went against the wishes of all local residents' associations, the RBKC council, and Kensington's MP, Emma Dent Coad.
read more

City Hall refuses the “caviar care” development

On 23 April 2019, the proposed luxury retirement development on the site of the former Heythrop College, by some detractors labelled “caviar care”, was refused on behalf of the London mayor Sadiq Khan by Jules Pipe, deputy mayor for planning, as the mayor’s office regards the entire development to be use class C3 (self-contained single household homes), and as such it should include 35% affordable housing. The plan only includes five affordable flats, although the scheme consists of 142 luxury retirement flats plus three town houses.
read more

Upcoming society events (click to see all)

Church walk around St James's Gardens

Unfortunately, this event was sold out within two days.
NEW EVENT: Towards the end of September, we will be guided on a fascinating walk in the area around St James’s Gardens in Norland ward, where we will be shown five or six very different faith centres and will hopefully be visiting three or four of them.
Date: Wednesday 25 September 2019
read more

Visit to the Royal Society of Sculptors

In October we are invited to a private view of a brand-new exhibition of work by two important Japanese sculptors in Dora House - the fascinating Old Brompton Road home of the Royal Society of Sculptors. We'll also learn more about the house and the society.
Date: Thursday 10 October 2019
read more