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)

News

Public conference about holiday short lets in RBKC

2017-09-10

On Wednesday 13 September, the council’s short term holiday lettings working group will hold a public conference in the Small Hall at Kensington Town Hall about the recent avalanche of holiday short-lets in London, and the effects this has had on neighbourhoods, housing and the hotel industry in the borough. In RBKC alone, some 8,000 homes are currently being let to tourists and business visitors.

Second meeting about police station closure

2017-09-03

The Metropolitan Police invites all residents to a second face-to-face discussion with representatives for the local police force and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), about the proposed closure of Notting Hill police station. The meeting will be held at St John's Notting Hill Church, Landsdowne Crescent, on Wednesday 6 September at 7pm.

The week that was: 31 July - 6 August

2017-08-08

During the seventh week after the Grenfell Tower fire, Elaine Elkington was appointed interim chief executive of KCTMO, the Treasury’s high interests rates to councils came under the spotlight, the second cladding combination test made a further 111 high-rise residential buildings officially unsafe, and the organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival announced their plans for honouring the Grenfell victims.

Latest planning news (click to see all)

Updated: New application for Newcombe House

In response to the planning inspector’s dismissal in June of the appeal against the council’s rejection of the plans for the large Newcombe House complex in Notting Hill Gate, the developer has now submitted a new application, where affordable housing will be provided in one of the buildings. The lack of affordable housing was the only substantial reason for the inspector's rejection of the previous plan.
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Book Warehouse development about to begin

The Book Warehouse complex development in Notting Hill Gate looks about to begin, almost two years after it was approved. Owned and recently leased by an array of anonymous companies in Panama, Gibraltar and Jersey, the development should be finished towards the end of 2018 if the original construction time estimate holds.
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