Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea explained

Official Name:Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Settlement Type:London borough, Royal borough
Image Blank Emblem:Rb_kensington_and_chelsea_logo.svg
Blank Emblem Type:Council logo
Blank Emblem Size:100px
Subdivision Type:Sovereign state
Subdivision Name:United Kingdom
Subdivision Type2:Constituent country
Subdivision Name2:England
Subdivision Type3:Region
Subdivision Name3:London
Subdivision Type4:Ceremonial county
Subdivision Name4:Greater London
Established Title:Created
Established Date:1 April 1965
Seat Type:Admin HQ
Seat:Holland Street
Government Type:London borough council
Governing Body:Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council
Leader Title2:London Assembly
Leader Name2:James Small-Edwards (Labour) AM for West Central
Leader Title3:MPs
Area Total Km2:12.13
Area Rank: (of)
Population Rank: (of)
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:GMT
Utc Offset:±00:00UTC
Timezone Dst:BST
Utc Offset Dst:+1
Postal Code Type:Postcodes
Postal Code:,,
Area Code:020
Iso Code:GB-KEC
Blank1 Name:ONS code
Blank1 Info:00AW
Blank2 Name:GSS code
Blank2 Info:E09000020
Blank Name Sec2:Police
Blank Info Sec2:Metropolitan Police
Website:www.rbkc.gov.uk

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (often known by its acronym as RBKC) is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the United Kingdom. It includes affluent areas such as Notting Hill, Kensington, South Kensington, Chelsea, and Knightsbridge.

The borough is immediately west of the City of Westminster and east of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It contains major museums and universities in Albertopolis, department stores such as Harrods, Peter Jones and Harvey Nichols, and embassies in Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Kensington Gardens. The borough is home to the Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest, and contains many of the most expensive residential properties in the world, as well as Kensington Palace, a British royal residence.

The local authority is Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council. Its motto, adapted from the opening words of Psalm 133, is Latin: Quam bonum in unum habitare, which translates roughly as 'How good it is to dwell in unity'.[1]

History

Chelsea and Kensington were both ancient parishes in the historic county of Middlesex. From 1856 the two parishes were in the area governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.[2] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards, with both Chelsea and Kensington being governed by their respective vestries. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, two of which were called Chelsea and Kensington, corresponding to the two parishes.[3] The borough of Kensington was given the honorific title of royal borough in 1901.

The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, which reorganised 86 boroughs and urban districts into 32 London boroughs and also created the Greater London Council. It was a merger of the old metropolitan boroughs of Chelsea and Kensington, and it inherited Kensington's royal borough status.[4] The new borough was originally intended to be called only "Kensington", but after protests from thousands of Chelsea residents, the then Minister of Housing and Local Government, Sir Keith Joseph, announced on 2 January 1964 that the name of the new borough would be the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.[5]

Of its history the council states: "Despite the boroughs being separate originally, Kensington and Chelsea still retain their unique characters. Even the amalgamation of the two boroughs, unpopular as it was at the time, has been accepted. Today conservation combined with the adoption of sympathetic new architecture is seen as a key objective. In every corner of the borough signs of its history can be seen: from Grade 1 listed buildings Kensington Palace and the Royal Hospital, Chelsea to others recalled in street names such as Pottery Lane and Hippodrome Mews."[6]

In 200 years the area has been transformed from a "rural idyll" to a thriving part of the modern metropolis. Chelsea had originally been countryside upon which Thomas More built Beaufort House. He came to Chelsea in 1520 and built the house, which in his day had two courtyards laid out between the house and the river, and in the north of the site acres of gardens and orchards were planted. It was from here in 1535 that More was taken to the Tower and beheaded later that year.[7] This area of Cheyne Walk continued its historic significance; nearby Crosby Hall sits on the river near the Church of Thomas More, and what was once Thomas Carlyle's residence remains on Cheyne Row.

Kensington's royal borough status was granted in 1901 as it included of Kensington Palace, where Queen Victoria was born in 1819 and lived until her accession in 1837. Commissioned by King William III, Christopher Wren enlarged and rebuilt the original house in 1689, turning it into a fitting royal residence. With the King came many court officials, servants and followers. Kensington Square, until then a failing venture, became a popular residential area. The Palace was regularly used by reigning monarchs until 1760 and since then by members of the Royal family.[8] Kensington's royal borough status was inherited by the new borough.

In the 19th century the last emperor of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Duleep Singh who was brought to England as a child following the Second Anglo-Sikh War, along with the Koh-i-noor diamond, lived in the borough at 53 Holland Park, while his mother Maharani Jind Kaur (wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) lived at the nearby Abingdon House till her death in 1846.

During the Second World War civilians suffered great hardship; there were some 800 deaths and 40,000 injuries. A huge army of civilian volunteers was raised, including Auxiliary Fire Service, Red Cross, Air Raid Wardens and Rescue Services. During the Blitz much damage was caused by explosive and incendiary bombs, especially along Chelsea's riverside. But worse was to come in 1944 with the arrival of the V2 rockets, or flying bombs. Among the buildings either destroyed or seriously damaged, usually with terrible loss of life, were Chelsea Old Church, Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Our Lady of Victories, St Mary Abbots, St Stephens Hospital, St Mary Abbots Hospital, Sloane Square tube station, World's End, the Royal Hospital and Holland House.[9]

Districts

Areas in the borough include:

Parks and open Spaces

See main article: Kensington and Chelsea parks and open spaces. Most parks and open spaces in this borough are quite small, the majority being squares built to service houses around them. The area does contain larger parks, containing Kensington Park and parts of Hyde Park, as well as parts of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries.

Governance

See main article: Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council. The local authority is Kensington and Chelsea Council, which is based at Kensington Town Hall on Horton Street.

Greater London representation

Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the West Central constituency.

UK Parliament

The borough is divided between two constituencies represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom: Kensington and Bayswater, held by Joe Powell for the Labour Party, and Chelsea and Fulham (partly in Hammersmith & Fulham), held by Ben Coleman for the Labour Party.

At the 2005 General Election, the borough was divided differently:

Rifkind held the Kensington seat until the 2015 General Election when he stood down after becoming embroiled in a scandal, uncovered by a television investigation, over accepting money in return for access to influential British diplomats and politicians.[10]

Evolution of parliamentary constituencies in RBKC
Until 1868From 1868From 1885From Feb 1974From 1997From 2010From 2024
MiddlesexPart of Part of Kensington and Bayswater
Part of

Demographics

At the 2011 census, the borough had a population of 158,649 who were 71 percent White, 10 percent Asian, 5 percent of multiple ethnic groups, 4 percent Black African and 3 percent Black Caribbean. It is the least populated of the 32 London boroughs. Due to its high French population it has long held the unofficial title of the 21st arrondissement of Paris.[11]

In 2005, the borough had more of its land covered by domestic buildings than anywhere else in England at 19%, over half the national average.[12] It also had the fifth highest proportion of land covered by non-domestic buildings at 12 percent.[12]

As of 2010 statistics released by the Office for National Statistics showed that life expectancy at birth for females was 89.8 years in 2008–2010, the highest in the United Kingdom. Male life expectancy at birth for the same period was 85.1 years.[13] The figures in 1991–1993 were significantly lower: 73.0 years for males (ranking 301st in the nation) and 80.0 for females (ranking 129th). Further investigation indicates a 12-year gap in life expectancy between the affluent wards of Chelsea (Royal Hospital, Hans Town) and the most northerly wards of North Kensington (Golborne, Dalgarno), which have high levels of social housing and poverty.

The borough has a higher proportion (16.6 percent) of high earners (over £60,000 per year) than any other local government district in the country.[14] It has the highest proportion of workers in the financial sector and the lowest proportion working in the retail sector.

In December 2006 Sport England published a survey which showed that the borough's residents were the fourth most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 27.9 percent of the population participate at least three times a week for 30 minutes.[15]

A 2017 study by Trust for London[16] and the New Policy Institute[17] found that Kensington & Chelsea has the greatest income inequality of any London Borough. Private rent for low earners was also found to be the least affordable in London. However, the borough's poverty rate of 28% is roughly in line with the London-wide average.[18]

Ethnicity

Ethnic GroupYear
1971 estimations[19] 1981 estimations[20] 1991 census[21] 2001 census[22] 2011 census[23] 2021 census[24]
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
White

Total

93.8%127,63488.8%122,93684.6%124,92478.61%112,01770.61%91,39463.8%
White: British79,59450.08% 62,27139.25%46,88332.7%
White: Irish5,183 3.26% 3,7152.34%2,8252.0%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller1190.08%840.1%
White: Roma1,0490.7%
White: Other40,14725.26% 45,91228.94%40,55328.3%
Asian or Asian British

Total

5,9184.1%8,7416%10,329 6.50% 15,861 10.00%17,02511.8%
Asian or Asian British: Indian12741,7113,226 2.03% 2,5771.62%3,2092.2%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani6348671,2030.76% 911 0.57%1,2820.9%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi3726131,1480.72% 8360.53%1,4881.0%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese1,1081,5172,592 1.63% 3,9682.50%3,8392.7%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 2,5304,0332,160 1.36% 7,5694.77%7,2075.0%
Black or Black British

Total

6,5814.6%8,2595.7%11,081 6.97% 10,333 6.51%11,2797.9%
Black or Black British: African2,1762,8916,013 3.78% 5,536 3.49%6,9444.8%
Black or Black British: Caribbean3,1483,7014,101 2.58% 3,257 2.05%3,2372.3%
Black or Black British: Other Black1,2571,667967 0.61% 1,540 0.97%1,0980.8%
Mixed or British Mixed

Total

6,505 4.09% 8,986 5.66%9,5256.6%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 1,290 0.81% 1,695 1.07%1,7251.2%
Mixed: White and Black African 1,057 0.67% 1,148 0.72%1,2880.9%
Mixed: White and Asian 1,863 1.17% 3,0211.90%3,0472.1%
Mixed: Other Mixed 2,295 1.44% 3,122 1.97%3,4652.4%
Other: Total 3,6192.5%5,3643.7%6,080 3.83% 11,452 7.22%14,1509.9%
Other: Arab 6,4554.07%6,3844.5%
Other: Any other ethnic group 4,997 3.15%7,7665.4%
Ethnic minority: Total 6.2%16,11811.2%22,36415.4%33,995 21.39% 46,632 29.39%51,97936.2%
Total 100%143,752100%145,300100%158,919 100.00% 158,649 100.00%143,373100%

Transport

Underground

The borough has 12 tube stations, on five of the 11 London Underground lines: the Central line, Circle line, District line, Hammersmith & City line and Piccadilly line. The borough contains the stations of,,,,,,,,,, and .

Crossrail

Chelsea (SW3, SW10 and partly SW1) has significantly less Underground access than Kensington, the only station within Chelsea being Sloane Square. There have for some time been long-term plans for a Chelsea-Hackney line, with a station in the King's Road near Chelsea Town Hall, and possibly another at Sloane Square. As of June 2019, the plans for Crossrail 2 materialising show the proposed route tunnelling through Chelsea and featuring the planned station on the site of Dovehouse Green. The future of this station, being the only fully new station on the proposed line, remains ambiguous; initial reports of the station idea having been scrapped [25] seem to be contradicted by the station's placement on an official Transport for London map for the route.[26]

A Crossrail station on the original Crossrail route, from Paddington to Reading, has been proposed and endorsed by the council.[27] This station would be located near the northern end of, and would serve the areas of North Kensington and Kensal. The council supports this station concept as it would renew infrastructure and build regeneration benefits in the area.

National Rail and Overground

and are the nearest major railway termini; National Rail stations in the borough are and (and partly), both served by London Overground and Southern.

Buses

Many London bus routes pass through the borough, most of them along King's Road, Fulham Road, Kensington High Street and Ladbroke Grove.

Cycling

Kensington and Chelsea council has been criticised for its lack of support for cycle lanes and active travel in general. In 2019 the council vetoed a flagship programme by Transport for London for safer walking and cycling in the borough.[28] In 2020 it scrapped a cycle lane along Kensington High Street just seven weeks after it was installed.[29]

Travel to work

In March 2011 the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 23.6 percent of all residents aged 16–74; driving a car or van, 8.2 percent; on foot, 8.2 percent; bus, minibus or coach, 8.0 percent; work mainly at or from home, 7.0 percent; bicycle, 3.1 percent; train, 2.1 percent.[30]

Social housing and Grenfell tower fire

The RBKC is a major provider of social housing in the borough owning 9,459 properties.[31] Of these over 73 percent are tenanted, with the remainder being leasehold.[31] The management of this housing was devolved to the Kensington and Chelsea TMO (KCTMO), a tenant management organisation. Properties included Trellick Tower.

The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, in which one public-housing tower of the estate Grenfell Tower was completely destroyed and 72 lives were lost, drew international attention to the borough. After widespread criticism of the borough council's response to the fire,[32] [33] responsibility for providing services to those affected by the fire was taken away from RBKC.[34] Prime Minister Theresa May previously branded the response to the tragedy "not good enough", with Whitehall civil servants drafted in as part of a beefed-up operation in the local area.Anna Stec who gave evidence as an expert witness to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has urged the authorities to test rescue workers, nearby residents and survivors for carcinogenic chemicals following the fire.[35]

Religion

The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Kensington and Chelsea according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses.

Religion2001[36] 2011[37] 2021[38]
Number%Number%Number%
Holds religious beliefs120,05275.5110,01169.393,45265.2
Christian98,46662.086,00554.269,33548.4
Muslim13,3648.415,81210.016,86511.8
Jewish3,5502.23,3202.12,6811.9
Hindu1,5941.01,3860.91,5841.1
Sikh3250.22630.23190.2
Buddhist1,8491.22,4471.51,6061.1
Other religion9040.67780.51,0640.7
No religion24,24015.332,66920.635,61024.8
Religion not stated14,6279.215,96910.114,31110.0
Total population158,919100.0158,649100.0143,373100.0

Places of worship

The borough has a number of notable churches, including:

It is home to a small Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, several mosques and the Sikh Central Gurudwara in Holland Park. There are two Armenian churches – Saint Sarkis Armenian Church and Church of Saint Yeghiche. Westminster Synagogue is also partially located in the borough.

Diplomatic missions

The borough's notable districts are home to numerous international diplomatic missions:

High Commissions

Embassies

Featured places

Within the borough there are several of London's tourist attractions and landmarks:

Education

Schools

See main article: List of schools in Kensington and Chelsea. The council's education department finances state schools.[39]

London's Poverty Profile - a 2017 study by Trust for London[16] and the New Policy Institute[17] - found that 75% of 19-year-olds in Kensington and Chelsea have at least a C in their GCSE English and Maths. This is the highest success rate in London.[18]

Independent preparatory schools

Further education

Universities

Public libraries

Libraries include the Kensington Central Library, Chelsea Library, Kensal Library, Brompton Library, North Kensington Library and the Notting Hill Gate Library.[40]

International relations

Town twinning

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is formally twinned with:

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Individuals

Military Units

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: How council works: our Mayor: Coat of Arms . Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . 16 June 2017.
  2. [Metropolis Management Act 1855]
  3. [London Government Act 1899]
  4. Book: Youngs, Frederic . Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England . I: Southern England . . London . 1979 . 0-901050-67-9.
  5. http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=kenlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS85943843&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0 The Times, 3 January 1964:Chelsea Name Retained: New Decisions on Three Boroughs
  6. Web site: The Modern Borough . Rbkc.gov.uk . 6 May 2020.
  7. Web site: Thomas More Comes to Chelsea . Rbkc.gov.uk . 18 November 2018.
  8. Web site: Royalty Comes to Kensington . Rbkc.gov.uk . 18 November 2018.
  9. Web site: The Boroughs at War . Rbkc.gov.uk . 18 November 2018.
  10. Web site: Malcolm Rifkind to stand down as an MP at the election after lobbying controversy. www.newstatesman.com. 24 February 2015 . 3 June 2015.
  11. Web site: Emma Rowley. High earners say au revoir to France . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/globalbusiness/9261905/High-earners-say-au-revoir-to-France.html . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . The Daily Telegraph . 12 May 2012 . 14 August 2012.
  12. Web site: Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005 . 25 December 2021 . 11 February 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030211201309/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/ . dead .
  13. Web site: Nadine Burham-Marshalleck . Kensington & Chelsea has UK's highest life expectancy - South West Londoner . 31 October 2011 . Swlondoner.co.uk . 16 June 2017.
  14. Web site: Top ten fastest growing affluent areas . https://archive.today/20120525232925/http://money.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4965695-110144,00.html . dead . 25 May 2012 . Business guardian.co.uk . 18 November 2018.
  15. Web site: Active People Survey - headline results . https://web.archive.org/web/20070120191354/http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/research/active_people/active_people_survey_headline_results.htm . 25 February 2010 . 20 January 2007 .
  16. Web site: London Poverty & Inequality - Trust For London. Trust for London.
  17. Web site: Home. www.npi.org.uk.
  18. Web site: London's Poverty Profile . Trust for London . 19 July 2018.
  19. Web site: Migration and London’s growth . LSE.
  20. Book: Ethnicity in the 1991 census: Vol 3 - Social geography and ethnicity in Britain, geographical spread, spatial concentration and internal migration . 1996 . London : HMSO . Internet Archive . 978-0-11-691655-6.
  21. Book: Ethnicity in the 1991 census: Vol 3 - Social geography and ethnicity in Britain, geographical spread, spatial concentration and internal migration . 1996 . London : HMSO . Internet Archive . 978-0-11-691655-6.
  22. Web site: KS006 - Ethnic group . NOMIS . 30 January 2016.
  23. Web site: Ethnic Group by measures . NOMIS . 8 January 2016.
  24. Web site: Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics . 29 November 2022 . www.ons.gov.uk.
  25. Web site: Crossrail 2 route shake-up: Transport for London's (TfL) business case proposal scraps Kings Road Chelsea station and opts for Tooting over Balham | City A.M . https://web.archive.org/web/20180327183856/http://www.cityam.com/267275/crossrail-2-route-shake-up-transport-londons-business-case . dead . 27 March 2018 . 26 June 2017 . 6 May 2020.
  26. Web site: Route Map. CrossRail.
  27. Web site: Kensal Portobello Crossrail Station | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . Rbkc.gov.uk . 6 May 2020.
  28. Web site: 14 June 2019 . Kensington and Chelsea vetoes flagship road safety scheme . 19 August 2022 . The Guardian . en.
  29. Web site: 30 November 2020 . Kensington and Chelsea council criticised for scrapping cycle lane . 19 August 2022 . The Guardian . en.
  30. Web site: 2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales . Office for National Statistics . 23 November 2013.
  31. Web site: Business Plan 2014-17 . kctmo.org.uk/ Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation . 18 June 2017 . 29 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161229185333/http://www.kctmo.org.uk/files/161647_business_plan_2014-17.pdf . dead.
  32. Web site: Horton . Helena . Anger as leader of Kensington Council appears to blame Grenfell residents for sprinklers not being installed . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/16/anger-leader-kensington-council-appears-blame-grenfell-residents/ . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live. telegraph.co.uk. Daily Telegraph. 19 June 2017. en. 19 June 2017.
  33. Web site: MacAskill . Ewen . Council sidelined in Grenfell Tower response as leader refuses to quit . Guardian.co.uk. The Guardian. 19 June 2017 . en . 19 June 2017.
  34. Web site: Flood. Rebecca. Specialist team set up after Grenfell Tower fire after response 'not good enough'. Express.co.uk. Daily Express. 18 June 2017. en. 18 June 2017.
  35. News: Grenfell soil tests 'reveal huge numbers of cancer forming toxins' . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/13/grenfell-soil-tests-reveal-huge-numbers-cancer-forming-toxins/ . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live. Daily Telegraph . 13 October 2018. 7 December 2018.
  36. Web site: KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001 . 18 October 2022 . www.nomisweb.co.uk.
  37. Web site: KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011 . 18 October 2022 . www.nomisweb.co.uk.
  38. Web site: 29 November 2022 . Religion - 2021 census . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129115419/https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS030/editions/2021/versions/1 . 29 November 2022 . 16 December 2022 . Office of National Statistics.
  39. Web site: Family and Children's Services . Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . 14 June 2016 . 16 June 2017.
  40. http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/libraries/general/Libraries http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/leisureandlibraries.aspx Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  41. Web site: British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]]. https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns. 20 July 2013. 5 July 2013. Archant Community Media Ltd.
  42. Web site: Appointment of Honorary Persons. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . 30 November 2016.
  43. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: Churchill Receives Freedom Of Kensington (1949). British Pathé. 13 April 2014. 12 March 2017. YouTube.
  44. Web site: Civic Honours granted by the Royal Boroughs. www.steppingforwardlondon.org.
  45. Web site: Royal Hospital Chelsea gains gift of a lifetime. www.rbkc.gov.uk.
  46. Web site: Civic Honours – 41 (Princess Louise's Kensington) Squadron 38 Signal Regiment. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. 13 July 2019.