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 around 40 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 normally 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. However, during the ongoing pandemic these activities have been forced to take a pause. Otherwise, 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 most annual reports since 1954 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.

Text updated 07/02/2021

The news blog (click here to see all)

Update: Pavement licences extended to autumn 2022

In order to help kickstart pubs and restaurants when they, hopefully, will be allowed to serve customers outside from 12 April, the temporary pavement licence scheme, which enables many of them to erect temporary outdoor serving areas on the pavement, will be extended to the end of September 2022.
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Campaign against 344-350 Old Brompton Road

Eight organisations, among them the Kensington Society, are campaigning against the proposed development of 344-350 Old Brompton Road, at the south end of the vast empty space left after the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, urging residents to oppose it before the deadline on 25 March.
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Virtual event about electric cars was a great success

More than 40 members took part in a Kensington Society virtual event on 24 February, where councillors Johnny Thalassites and Cem Kemahli talked about the council’s efforts to help residents to switch over to electric cars.
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Latest planning news (click here to see all)

Update: Developer withdraws Forum Hotel application

The developer planning to replace Kensington Forum Hotel on Cromwell Road with a much taller and massive complex, surprisingly announced at the end of business on Friday 19 March that they wished to withdraw their application. This means that there will be no public hearing on 19 March, and that the complex won’t be built unless a new planning application is lodged with the council. A great victory for the local residents, who have fought against the development for four years.
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First phase in new Earls Court plan?

Following the collapse of the gigantic development project known as the Earl’s Court and West Kensington Opportunity Area in 2018, there is an enormous wasteland left after the demolition of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. In January RBKC received an application for a building complex at the south end of the site. Is this the first phase in a not yet publicised a plan to replace the wasteland with new and perhaps higher buildings than those previously planned? The developer says no, but others suspect that it is.
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Upcoming society events (click here to see all)

What is the Passivhaus system?

Our third virtual event will be an online talk and Q&A about Octavia’s award-winning Passivhaus experiment in Princedale Road, where a Victorian terraced cottage was gutted and re-built to be almost completely insulated and powered by low carbon technology.
Date: Tuesday 25 May 2021
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The Kensington Society AGM 2021 – to be held virtually

On Monday 7 June 2021, The Kensington Society will hold its 2021 AGM. Due to Covid, it will be held virtually over the internet. It will encompass both 2019 and 2020, as the 2020 AGM had to be cancelled. We would like as many as possible of our members to participate.
Date: Monday 7 June 2021
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