Business
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...
MP BEN COLEMAN QUITS….AS COUNCILLOR
The Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham has resigned as a councillor of Lillie ward in Hammersmith and Fulham after ten years of service to concentrate on his MP work. Mr Coleman talks to The Citizen about his landmarks achievements at H&F Council...
Government lobbied to press for extradition of Rashid Ali from Pakistan
The Citizen is lobbying the Home Office to fight for the extradition of Rashid Ali, the driver who ran over and killed Jack Ryan on Battersea Bridge in 2021. Ali was sentenced at the Old Bailey last September to five years in prison for causing death by dangerous...
Other News
EXCLUSIVE: Inside the King’s Road Horror Squat
The squatter who had lived in the former PC Rescue shop on the King's Road for six months has finally been evicted. RBKC officers managed to get him out of the property in early August and immediately began an urgent clean up operation to make way for a new tenant. The council confirmed that the total cost of cleaning up and securing the property...
Step into the Past with the Chelsea History Festival
The Chelsea History Festival - now in its seventh year - has revealed its full line-up for 2025, promising a five-day celebration of stories, people, and ideas that have shaped Britain and the wider world. Taking place from 24th-28th September, the much-loved event is set to bring Chelsea's rich cultural heritage to life through more than 80...
RBKC’s survey on ‘Charter for Public Participation’ – the results are IN
A major consultation carried out by the Council has highlighted a growing demand amongst residents to be more actively involved in local decision making. A total of 474 people took part in the consultation earlier this year that is dedicated to defining the 'Charter for Public Participation'. The full report and breakdown of statistics can be...
Council suddenly closes SMART charity offices
The offices of the charity SMART have been abruptly closed by RBKC officers. Staff at the charity were shocked to discover on Friday, 17th August that the gates to the premises at No.15 Gertrude Street had been padlocked. This drastic and sudden action by the council has created some confusion, not least with Amelia Mustapha, the director of the...
World’s End Murder Trial – Convictions Secured
A man has been found guilty of the murder of Omarkafi Sahal on the World's End Estate last year. The attacker, who has not been named by police, was found guilty of stabbing 28-year-old Omarkafi on 7th August following a jury trial at Isleworth Crown Court. Two other men who appeared in the dock were found guilty of "violent disorder" and two...
The Government has the WRONG plan to “modernise” planning
The Government is proposing major reforms to existing planning laws that would wipe away a vital layer of the democratic process. New developments that are deemed to be "minor" - ones of 50 homes or less - would be decided upon by planning officers - and not by committee. This would mean that local residents and local groups would no longer have...
Flippin’ Heck! McDonald’s Suddenly Closes King’s Road Restaurant
McDonald's on the King's Road suddenly closed on 6th July. The restaurant - at the junction with Royal Avenue - is now boarded up and will not be re-opening. The Citizen approached McDonald's with a series of questions asking for an explanation behind the dramatic decision, but only received a basic statement. A McDonald’s spokesperson said: 'The...
Physic Garden Seeds New Link to Save Rare Conifers
Chelsea Physic Garden (CPG) - has announced that it has grown a vital new partnership to help save critically endangered conifers from extinction. The 352-year-old Physic Garden has started collaborating with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh by becoming a "safe site" in its International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP). The programme...
Cascade flows across façade of The Gaumont
It has been three years in the making, but a stunning new public artwork has finally been unveiled across the façade The Gaumont building on the King's Road. Entitled Cascade, the ceramic abstract diptych fills two 609 x 288 cm panels on either side of the 1930s frontage that was once The Gaumont Palace cinema and theatre and now the focus of a...
Chelsea Barracks: Radical new plans for ‘Phase 5’ to be unveiled
The revised new designs for what is known as Phase 5 of the vast Chelsea Barracks development are set to be revealed. Qatari Diar, the global property company behind the development, announced dramatic changes to its Masterplan last April and urgently began consulting with residents and wider community groups. The detail of the amended plans that...