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)

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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Why we have backed Newcombe House

Ever since the first Newcombe House application in 2015, the Kensington Society and the Ladbroke Association have supported the project, in spite of the height. At the public hearing in City Hall on Tuesday 18 September, Peter Mishcon spoke on behalf of the two organisations and explained why.
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The Commons' Grenfell hearings focus on the future

While the large Grenfell Tower Inquiry is trying to find out exactly what happened during the fire, the House of Commons' select committee for housing, communities and local government is running a parallell inquiry, focussed of finding ways to prevent another high-rise fire and improve relations between council's and their tenants. Last week the committee met Grenfell tenants, one of them was Tomassina Hessel (picture).
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Latest planning news (click to see all)

Controversial Heythrop College plan approved

On 27 November, the council’s planning committee approved the very controversial plans to turn the site of the former Heythrop College on the south side of Kensington Square into a 142-flat luxury development for very wealthy pensioners. It is now up to the London mayor to either approve or "call in" the application and make his own decision. More than a month before the planning committee's approval, he announced that the development wouldn’t comply with London’s affordable housing policies.
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Kensington's highest building stopped - for now

After a six hour long meeting on 27 September, the council's planning committee said no to a plan which would have created the borough's highest building, 102 metres, on the site currently occupied by the Kensington Forum Hotel at 97-102 Cromwell Road. But this doesn't mean that it still can't happen: London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, may decide to overrule the council's decision, and if he doesn't, the developer may appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
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Upcoming society events (click to see all)

A unique chance to see the Sloane Herbarium

We have been given the unique opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum's Sloane Herbarium, which is normally only accessible for scientists. We will also get a chance to see “Expeditions and Endeavours”, a new exhibition which changes every four months.
Date: Monday 21 January 2019

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Page updated 16/11/2018