Business
RBKC Search for Advisory Panel Talent
RBKC council is searching for a team of locals to come forward to join a new panel to "hold them to account" in light of the Grenfell tower disaster. The hunt is on for 10-15 people who can take up places on the resident-led Independent Advisory Panel (IAP), which has...
£50 for 15,000 low income residents – RBKC signs off budget with £750,000 cash handout
The leaders of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council have waved through its budget for 2025-2026. Following a full council meeting on 5th March, the budget was signed off. Council tax will go up by four per cent - one of the lowest increases in London....
Lord Cashman speaks up in support of the Chelsea houseboat owners
Lord Cashman made a spirited defence of the Chelsea houseboat owners in a speech in the House of Lords on the evening of 4th February. Baron Cashman of Limehouse, for it is he, spoke up during a debate about the Renters' Rights Bill. He revealed that his...
Other News
Felicity Kendal Interview: My 60 years of the good life in Chelsea
If you have ever wondered who might qualify as a stand-up citizen of Chelsea, then Felicity Kendal can take a bow. In the past few years alone, she has lent her celebrity name to give publicity oxygen to multiple worthy local battles: the houseboat owners’ fight against their “predatory” landlord, the M&S development, road safety on Cheyne...
Breaking News: Developer Rockwell APPEALS against planning refusal for its “toxic” Battersea Bridge tower
News has just emerged that Rockwell Property lodged an appeal yesterday to the Housing Minister against the decision by Wandsworth Council to refuse permission for its 28-storey apartment block of luxury flats on the Glassmill site by Battersea Bridge. The Citizen has written to the company requesting a statement to confirm the truth of this...
Charity shopping goes “Premium” as Shelter launches new boutique in Kensington
A new Boutique by Shelter is opening in High Street Kensington on December 4. Unlike your regular charity shop, the boutique will bring vintage bargains and high-end designer fashion to one of London’s most iconic retail streets. The newly refurbished 820 sq ft space will sell a curated mix of pre-owned vintage pieces, as well as designer fashion...
RBKC Forced Into Emergency Shutdown After Hack Attack
Kensington and Chelsea has been plunged into digital chaos after a major cyberattack forced the Royal Borough into emergency mode — with staff ordered to work from home, systems shut down, and phone lines still unreliable. The cyber assault, which has also hit Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham under joint IT arrangements, is now being...
RBKC braces for severe chill of Gov financial cuts and asks for feedback from residents
The Royal Borough may be among Britain’s richest, but the Council is staring down a massive £82 million funding shortfall and families have been warned to brace for rising bills and shrinking services. Shell-shocked Town Hall bosses admit they are heading into their worst budget crisis in decades, as Government support is set to nosedive between...
The Hari Hotel arts prize – the results are in
Belgravia’s five-star hotspot The Hari was the place to be last week as the art glitterati packed into the luxury hotel for the 2025 Hari Art Prize — with three rising stars walking away with a share of a £14,000 prize pot. Now in only its fourth year, the competition has grown into a popular and coveted art competition, with more than 1,500...
Dreaded traffic cameras start to roll on Chelsea’s yellow boxes. “Is this to improve traffic flow – or cash flow?”
New CCTV cameras have been installed at five busy intersections across Kensington and Chelsea — including two on the King’s Road — as the council ramps up enforcement on yellow-box blockers, illegal turns and other traffic offences. The Royal Borough's transport and environment lead councillor Johnny Thalassites said the action follows a council...
The Royal Hospital seeks cure for its Peabody problem
The boss of Chelsea's world famous Royal Hospital has assured anxious social housing tenants they won't be kicked out of their homes when a crucial lease runs out in 16 months. Facing a packed — and at times heated— public meeting, CEO David Richmond tried to calm nerves. “Let me make clear — we have no intention of seeing people move out of...
‘We’re coming for Chelsea’: Reform Party launches recruitment drive for May election fight
Reform UK stormed into Chelsea last night (18th November) with a rally aimed squarely at recruiting councillors to break the Conservatives’ decades-long grip on the Royal Borough. Around 120 locals packed St Luke's Hall where party activists vowed to deliver a political earthquake in next May’s council elections. They announced the party is...
Chelsea switches on for Christmas with 34kms of fairy lights
Christmas arrived with a bang in Chelsea! Eight-year-old Kouzma lit up the King’s Road with one confident press of the big red button — moments before a thunderous firework display cracked open the night sky in a shower of glittering golds and reds. Families gasped, kids squealed, and pint-sized Kouzma stood starry-eyed alongside Santa Claus...