Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
—  London borough, Royal borough  —
Coat of arms of Royal Borough ofKensington and Chelsea Coat of arms Council logo
Kensington and Chelsea shown within Greater London
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	London
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Status	London borough, Royal borough
Admin HQ	Kensington
Incorporated	1 April 1965
Government
• Type	London borough council
• Body	Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet (Conservative)
• Mayor	Cllr James Husband
• MPs	Greg Hands (Con) Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Con)
• London Assembly	Kit Malthouse (Con) AM for West Central
• EU Parliament	London
Area
• Total	4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)
Area rank	325th (of 326)
Population (2011 est.)
• Total	158,300
• Rank	115th (of 326)
• Density	Bad rounding here34,000/sq mi (Bad rounding here13,000/km2)
• Ethnicity	50.2% White British 2.7% White Irish 24.2% Other White 0.8% White & Black Caribbean 0.6% White & Black African 1.2% White & Asian 1.4% Other Mixed 3.0% Indian 1.1% Pakistani 0.9% Bangladeshi 1.4% Other Asian 2.2% Black Caribbean 3.5% Black African 0.6% Other Black 2.7% Chinese 3.6% Other
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Postcodes	SW, W
Area code(s)	020
Police force	Metropolitan Police
Website	www.rbkc.gov.uk

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (often abbreviated to RBKC) is a central London borough of Royal borough status. It is an urban area and in the 2001 census it was the most densely populated local authority in the United Kingdom, with a population of 158,919 at 13,244 per square kilometre (the land area is approximately 12 square kilometres, making it the smallest of the London boroughs, excluding the City of London).

The borough is immediately to the west of the City of Westminster, which is at the heart of modern London, and to the east of Hammersmith & Fulham, and contains a substantial number of city-centre facilities such as major museums and universities (in "Albertopolis"); department stores like Harrods, Peter Jones and Harvey Nichols; is home to the Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest carnival; and several Embassies in Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Kensington Gardens. It contains many of the most exclusive residential districts in London, which are also some of the most expensive in the world.

The local authority is Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council. The borough's motto is Quam Bonum in Unum Habitare, which translates approximately as 'How good it is to dwell in unity'.

History

The borough was created in 1965 from the former boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea. Kensington's Royal Borough status was inherited by the new borough. The new borough was originally to be called just 'Kensington' – the inclusion of Chelsea was locally supported.

Districts in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

The borough includes:

• Albertopolis
• Bayswater (also partly in the City of Westminster)
• Belgravia (also partly in the City of Westminster)
• Brompton
• Chelsea
• Earl's Court
• Holland Park
• Kensal Town (also partly in the City of Westminster)
• Kensington
• Knightsbridge (also partly in the City of Westminster)
• Ladbroke Grove
• North Kensington
• Notting Hill
• South Kensington
• West Brompton
• West Kensington (also partly in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham)
• World's End
  • see also Kensington and Chelsea parks and open spaces

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, the borough has a population of 158,919. It is 79% White, 4% Black African and 3% Black Caribbean. Due to its high French population, mainly made up of bankers and associated household support staff, it has long held the unofficial title of the 21st arrondissement of Paris.

44% of households are owner–occupiers. As of October 2004, statistics released by the Office for National Statistics show that life expectancy at birth for females was 84.8 years in 2001–2003, the highest in the United Kingdom. Male life expectancy at birth for the same period was 79.8 years, third highest in the UK. 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's affluence is demonstrated by the fact that it has the largest number of high-earners (over £60,000) of any local government district in the country—16.6%. It has the highest number of workers in the financial sector and the lowest number working in the retail sector.

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

Politics

One of its more notable (and controversial) Leaders was Nicholas Freeman, from 1977 until 1989. The present Leader of the Council is Sir Merrick Cockell. He was elected in April 2000. Currently there are 42 Conservative councillors, 9 Labour and 3 Liberal Democrat.

The borough shares a Chief Executive with neighbouring Hammersmith & Fulham, and the two boroughs have combined a number of services and departments with one another and with Westminster City Council.

The borough is divided between two constituencies represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:

A London Underground train departing from Earl's Court station in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

• Kensington, held by Sir Malcolm Rifkind for the Conservative Party, and
• Chelsea and Fulham, held by Greg Hands for the Conservative Party.

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

• Kensington and Chelsea, held by Malcolm Rifkind for the Conservative Party, and
• Regent's Park and Kensington North, held by Karen Buck for the Labour Party.

Evolution of Parliamentary constituencies in Kensington and Chelsea
From 1885	From Feb 1974	From 1997	From 2010
Kensington North	Kensington	Part of Regent's Park and Kensington North	Kensington
Kensington South		Kensington and Chelsea
Chelsea			Part of Chelsea and Fulham

Public transport

Underground

The borough has 12 tube stations, on six of the 12 London Underground lines:

• Bakerloo line
• Central line
• Circle line
• District line
• Hammersmith & City line
• Piccadilly line

with stations at South Kensington, Gloucester Road, Kensington High Street, Earl's Court, Sloane Square, West Brompton, Olympia, Notting Hill Gate, Holland Park, Latimer Road, Knightsbridge, Westbourne Park, Ladbroke Grove, and partly Kensal Green.

Chelsea (SW3, SW10 and partly SW1) has less Underground access than Kensington, the only station within Chelsea being Sloane Square. There are long-term plans for the Chelsea-Hackney line, with a station in the King's Road near Chelsea Old Town Hall, and possibly another at Sloane Square. Its estimated completion is 2022.

National Rail and Overground

Paddington and Victoria are the nearest major railway termini, and National Rail stations in the borough are Kensington (Olympia) and West Brompton, and partly Kensal Green, all both served by the London Overground.

Buses

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

Possible new Crossrail station

The borough council is pushing for an additional Crossrail station in the north of the borough, at Kensal off Ladbroke Grove & Canal Way. A turn-back facility will have to be built not too far west of Paddington, and siting the turn-back at Kensal rather than next to Paddington would provide a frequent service, helping to regenerate the area. London Mayor Boris Johnson stated that a station would be added if it met three tests: it must not delay construction of Crossrail; it must not compromise performance of Crossrail or any other railway; and it must not increase Crossrail's overall cost. In response, the borough council agreed to underwrite the projected £33 million cost of the station to the extent that section 106 payments from the promoters of property developments expected near the station do not reach this sum. The Council funded a consultancy study, which concluded that in many scenarios a Kensal station would not compromise Crossrail performance. TfL is conducting a feasibility study on the station. The project is supported by local MPs, the residents of the Borough, National Grid, retailers Sainsbury's and Cath Kidston, and Jenny Jones (Green Party member of the London Assembly). It is also supported by the adjoining London Borough of Brent.

Economy

Northcliffe House, head office of the Daily Mail and General Trust

The head office of Daily Mail and General Trust is in the Northcliffe House in Kensington.

Sonangol Limited, a subsidiary of the Sonangol Group, has its head office in Merevale House in Kensington.

Religion

A typical mews in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The borough has a number of notable Christian churches, including:

• Brompton Oratory – Roman Catholic
• Chelsea Old Church (All Saints) – Church of England
• Holy Trinity Brompton – Church of England
• St Columba's Church, Pont Street – Church of Scotland
• St Luke's Church, Chelsea, Sydney Street – Church of England
• St Mary Abbots – Church of England
• St Sophia's Cathedral – Greek Orthodox Church

It is home to a small Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, several mosques and the Sikh Central Gurudwara in Holland Park.

According to the 2001 Census, 24% of the borough's population identified themselves as being non-religious or chose not to state their faith.

Featured places

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

• Brompton Oratory
• Earl's Court
• Harrods
• Imperial College (part)
• Kensington High Street
• Kensington Palace
• King's Road
• Ladbroke Grove
• Leighton House Museum
• Notting Hill Gate
• Olympia (part)
• Portobello Road
• Royal Hospital Chelsea
• Saatchi Gallery
• Sloane Street
• The Science Museum and The Natural History Museum
• Victoria & Albert Museum

Education

Social services transport provided by the Borough

The council's education department finances state schools. Some of them are:

Primary schools

Lycee Français Charles de Gaulle, a primary and secondary school

• Ashburnham Community School
• Avondale Park Primary School
• Bousfield Primary
• Chelsea Open Air Nursery
• Christ Church C of E Primary
• Colville Primary
• Fox Primary
• St Thomas
• Holy Trinity C of E Primary
• Instituto Español Cañada Blanch, also secondary school and Spanish Bachillerato.
• Marlborough Primary
• Lycee Français Charles de Gaulle, also a secondary school.
• Middle Row Primary
• Oratory RC Primary
• Our Lady of Victories RC Primary
• Oxford Gardens Primary
• Park Walk Primary
• Servite RC Primary
• St Barnabas' and St Philip's C of E Primary
• St Charles RC Primary
• St Clement's and St James' C of E Primary
• St Cuthbert with St Matthias C of E Primary, a voluntary aided school in Warwick Road, Earl's Court teaching children from age four to 11 and consisting of two large playgrounds, a 150-year-old Victorian building and a more recent extension.
• St Francis of Assisi RC Primary
• St Joseph RC Primary
• St Mary Abbot's C of E Primary
• St Mary's RC Primary
• St Thomas C of E Primary
• St Philip's School
• Thomas Jones Primary

Secondary schools

Kensington and Chelsea College (Hortensia Centre) in Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea Pupil Referral Unit Ashbourne Independent Sixth Form College Holland Park School

Sion-Manning RC School for Girls St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College St Thomas More RC Language College Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School Chelsea Children's Hospital School Lycee Français Charles de Gaulle Collingham Sixth Form College Kensington and Chelsea College

• Barlby Primary School
• Chelsea Academy

Independent schools

• Glendower Preparatory School
• Queen's Gate School
• Mander Portman Woodward

Universities

• English National Ballet School- in the heart of Chelsea
• Royal College of Art – the main campus is in South Kensington, with the sculpture department in Battersea.
• Royal College of Music
• Imperial College London – the main campus is in South Kensington.
• Heythrop College – a Constituent College of the University of London specialising in Theology & Philosophy
• Richmond, The American International University in London – the secondary campus is in Kensington.

Public libraries

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

The French community

The number of French people living in the UK has increased every year since 1991, according to French government statistics. It jumped by 8,716 in 2006, the biggest gain in at least 20 years. French people live throughout much of London, but particularly found in Kensington. There are several French schools, some independent, and others: La Petite École Française in west London and the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington and run by the French state.

See also

• Tri-borough shared services

External links

• Kensington & Chelsea Council
• Kensington & Chelsea Local Involvement Network (K&C LINk)