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)

Major traffic changes to Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park Avenue

Transport for London (TfL) plans to totally refurbish Holland Park Avenue/Notting Hill Gate between the Holland Park Roundabout and Kensington Gardens, as part of a major plan to improve cycling, air quality and pedestrian road crossings between Notting Hill Gate and Imperial College on Wood Lane. The plans were published on 1 May, and there is an ongoing online public consultation until 16 June.
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Newcombe House called in by Brokenshire

On 14 March, the housing secretary, James Brokenshire, announced that he was calling in the application for the revised Newcombe House scheme, which London mayor Sadiq Khan approved in September 2018. The call-in procedure means that Brokenshire and the Planning Inspectorate (which works under him) will look at the application and all arguments for and against it (which includes a public hearing), and will then either overrule Khan’s approval or support it.
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Sadiq Khan will decide the Kensington Forum plan

On 5 November, London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced that he would call in the Kensington Forum Hotel (i.e. Holiday Inn on Cromwell Road) application after the RBKC planning committee had decided to refuse it on 27 September. A public hearing, followed by Khan's decision, is expected in the beginning of 2019.
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Latest planning news (click to see all)

New Kensington Forum application to be decided by Khan

In late April, Sadig Khan’s office called in the Kensington Forum Hotel application for a second time, after the first was legally challenged by RBKC, and on 1 May the developer submitted a new application for his office to consider, where the number of residential homes on the site increases from 46 to 62 - and they will all be affordably rented. The consultation period for the new application ends on 5 June, and it will be followed by a public hearing before Sadiq Khan decides wether to allow or refuse the application.
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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.
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Upcoming society events (click to see all)

Hill & Park at the Frestonian Gallery

In May and June, the Frestonian Gallery in Notting Dale will be hosting 'Hill & Park', an exhibition of work by many of the artists who have called Notting Hill and Holland Park their home. We'll get a private curator’s tour which includes a glass of fizz.
Date: Thursday 20 June 2019
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A guided tour of Kensal Green Cemetery

In July, we will be visiting oldest and largest of London's seven commercial cemeteries that were established between 1833 and 1841: Kensal Green Cemetery, where more than 250,000 bodies have been interned - so far...
Date: Tuesday 16 July 2019
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