Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
—  London borough, Royal borough  —
Coat of arms Official logo of Royal Borough ofKensington and Chelsea 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 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 (2010 est.)
• Total	169,500
• Rank	102nd (of 326)
• Density	36,000/sq mi (14,000/km2)
• Ethnicity[1]	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	NW , 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. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England.

It is an urban area and was named in the 2001 census as 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 itself 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 its Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Kensington Gardens districts. It also 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 Royal borough's motto is Quam Bonum in Unum Habitare, which translates approximately as 'How good it is to dwell in unity'.

History[link]

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.^[2]

Districts in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea[link]

The borough includes the areas of:

• 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[link]

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.^[3]

44% of households are owner–occupiers. As of October 2004^[update], statistics released^[4] by the Office for National Statistics show that life expectancy at birth for females in Kensington and Chelsea 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 for Kensington and Chelsea during 1991-1993 were significantly lower: 73.0 years for males (ranking 301st in the nation) and 80.0 for females (ranking 129th). Further investigation, however, 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 are categorised by high levels of social housing and poverty.

Kensington and Chelsea'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%.^[5] 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 residents of Kensington and Chelsea 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.^[6]

Politics[link]

Originally two separate metropolitan boroughs with their own town halls and administrations, it has today a single united local government authority, the Kensington & Chelsea London Borough Council, based in Kensington. One of its more notable (and controversial) Leaders was Nicholas Freeman, who was Leader 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 now shares a Chief Executive with neighbouring Hammersmith & Fulham, and the two boroughs have also combined a number of services and departments with one another and also 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 in London.

• 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.

Public transport[link]

Underground

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is served by 12 tube stations, and 6 of the 12 London Underground lines:

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

Kensington and Chelsea is served by tube stations situated 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.

The Chelsea area (SW3, SW10 and partly SW1) has noticeably much less Underground access than Kensington, the only station within Chelsea being Sloane Square. There are long-term plans for the Chelsea-Hackney line to come to fruition. This would provide 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

Kensington & Chelsea does not have any major London railway termini stations within its borough boundary, Paddington and Victoria being the nearest, but national railway stations in the borough are Kensington (Olympia) and West Brompton, and partly Kensal Green both served by the London Overground.

Buses

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

Possible new Crossrail station

Kensington and Chelsea Council is pushing for an additional Crossrail station in the north of the Borough at Kensal^[7] off Ladbroke Grove & Canal Way. A turn-back facility will have to be built not too far west of Paddington anyway, and siting the turn-back at Kensal, rather than next to Paddington itself, would provide a frequent service to the new station, helping to regenerate the area.^[8][9][10] 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, Kensington and Chelsea Council agreed to underwrite the projected £33 million cost of a Crossrail station, to the extent that section 106 payments from the promoters of property developments expected near the station do not reach this sum.^[11] The Council also 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).^[12] It is also supported by the adjoining London Borough of Brent.^[13]

Economy[link]

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

The head office of Daily Mail and General Trust is located in the Northcliffe House in Kensington in the borough.^[14][15]

Sonangol Limited, a subsidiary of the Sonangol Group, has its head office in the Merevale House in Kensington in the RBKC.^[16]

Religion[link]

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

The Royal 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, Pont Street - Church of Scotland
• St Luke's Church^{[disambiguation needed ]}, Sydney Street - Church of England
• St Mary Abbots - Church of England
• St Sophia's Cathedral, London - Greek Orthodox Church

It is also 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 identified themselves as being non-religious, or chose not to state their faith.

Featured places[link]

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[link]

Social services transport provided by the Borough

Within the council, the education department finances state-operated schools in the borough.^[17] Some of them are:

Primary schools[link]

• Ashburnham Community School
• Avondale Park Primary School
• Bousfield Primary
• Chelsea Open Air Nursery
• Christ Church CofE Primary
• Colville Primary
• Fox Primary
• St Thomas
• Holy Trinity CofE 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 CofE Primary
• St Charles RC Primary
• St Clements and St James CofE Primary
• St Cuthbert with St Matthias CofE Primary, a voluntary aided Church of England 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 Abbots CofE Primary
• St Mary's RC Primary
• St Thomas CofE Primary
• St Philip's School
• Thomas Jones Primary

Secondary schools[link]

Kensington and Chelsea College (Hortensia Centre) in Chelsea

• Barlby Primary School
• Queen's Gate School
• Chelsea Academy

Independent schools[link]

• Glendower Preparatory School

Universities[link]

• English National Ballet School- the School is located within the heart of Chelsea
• Royal College of Art - the College's main campus lies within South Kensington, although the sculpture department currently resides in Battersea.
• Royal College of Music
• Imperial College London - the College's main campus lies within South Kensington.
• Heythrop College - A Constituent College of the University of London specialising in Theology & Philosophy
• Richmond, The American International University in London - The colleges secondary campus lies in Kensington.

Public libraries[link]

Libraries include the Kensington Central Library, Chelsea Library, Kensal Library, Brompton Library, North Kensington Library and the Notting Hill Gate Library.^[18]

The French community[link]

The number of French people living in the UK has increased every year since 1991, according to French government statistics.^[19] It jumped by 8,716 in 2006, the biggest gain in at least twenty years. French people are situated throughout much of London, but are particularly found within the Kensington area. There are several French schools, some independent, and others: La Petite École Française in west London and the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, situated in South Kensington and run by the French state.

See also[link]

• Tri-borough shared services

References[link]

External links[link]

London portal

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

v t e Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Districts Albertopolis Belgravia Bayswater Brompton Chelsea Earls Court Holland Park Kensington Kensal Town Knightsbridge Ladbroke Grove North Kensington Notting Hill South Kensington West Brompton West Kensington World's End Attractions Albert Memorial Chelsea Physic Garden Holland House Kensal Green Cemetery Kensington Palace Leighton House Museum National Army Museum Natural History Museum Olympia Royal Albert Hall Saatchi Gallery Science Museum Victoria & Albert Museum Theatres Chelsea Theatre Finborough Theatre Gate Theatre Royal Court Theatre Royal Parks Brompton Cemetery Kensington Gardens Street markets Portobello Road Market Parliamentary constituencies Kensington Westminster North Squares and streets Belgrave Square Cadogan Square Chester Square Hans Place King's Road Lowndes Square Pembroke Square Onslow Square Pavilion Road Paultons square Powis Square Redcliffe Square Sloane Square Sloane Street Thurloe Square Wilton Crescent Bridges Albert Bridge Battersea Bridge Chelsea Bridge Tube stations Earl's Court Gloucester Road High Street Kensington Holland Park Kensington (Olympia) Knightsbridge Ladbroke Grove Latimer Road Notting Hill Gate Sloane Square South Kensington Westbourne Park West Brompton Other topics Parks Police People Public art Schools

Coordinates: 51°30′N 0°11′W / 51.50°N 0.19°W / 51.50; -0.19