Business
Cllr Monica Press, Leader of the Labour Group of Councilllors – FULL speech
Cllr Monica Press, Leader of the Labour Group of councillors, who represents Colville ward, addressed the full meeting of the new council. Here is her speech in full Thank you Madam Mayor and congratulations on your election. And congratulations to Cllr Nur on...
The grab for power looms, but Who will win and How?
This Thursday — 7th May — voters in Kensington and Chelsea go to the polls in the most finely balanced local elections the Royal Borough has seen in a generation. The Conservatives are fighting to hold on to control, with the Labour Party snapping at their heels, and...
Full Council Meeting – The Citizen takes poll (sic) position
The Chelsea Citizen grabbed a front-row perch on the press bench at last night’s Full Council meeting — here's what unfolded... The session kicked off with an emotional plea over the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as four residents demanded the Royal...
‘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...
Creature Comforts Eases Into Chelsea
Creature Comforts, the colourful veterinary clinics that re-define the world of animal healthcare, is marking its arrival in Chelsea with a special Citizen reader offer. Noted for its ultra-modern lilac and purple branding - the most "soothing" colours for pets - the...
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
Council leader pleads with residents (AGAIN) to help her fight Gov over £100m funding axe
Kensington and Chelsea Council is calling on residents to join a borough-wide fightback against government funding reforms which it says will cost the town hall more than £100 million. Council leader Elizabeth Campbell has urged residents’ associations and the people they represent to rally behind a formal challenge to Westminster. The...
Interview – The Pressure producers: “We like to create theatre with a competitive edge – it gives the night a unique buzz”
Actors Arthur Campbell and Gregor Roach met at Oxford University and quickly began developing an innovative theatrical format to help showcase emerging student talent. They came up with a fun and fast staging concept that was laced with an original competitive element. They called it Pressure. The format is simple: Four new 15-minute plays are...
Get your bedding ready for Glass Door’s sleep out to help the homeless
This year, Glass Door Homeless Charity are launching their fourteenth annual sleep out – and this time it will coincide with World Homeless Day. A sleep out is a great way to raise money for the charity whilst also giving people a stark glimpse into the difficult life so many face on the streets of London every night. No doubt compounded by the...
The Chelsea Bun bake off begins the hunt for the hottest baker
Back for its eighth year, the World Chelsea Bun Awards are now only a month away. Whether you are professional or amateur, sweet-toothed or savoury-inclined, the popular Bun Awards – hosted annually by Royal Warrant-holders Partridges of Gloucester Road – are open to everyone, with a special section returning for Under 18s. What better way to...
Shudders across RBKC as Wandsworth residents face bombshell council tax increase
Wandsworth residents could be hit with what Labour claims would be Britain’s biggest-ever council tax rise, with bills potentially soaring by as much as 160% as the borough battles a deepening financial crisis. The Conservative-run council, which Labour lost control of in May, is understood to be considering the extraordinary increase after...
RBKC leader creates “rebel alliance” of councils to fight Gov’s mansion tax
RBKC Leader Elizabeth Campbell has come out fighting again to stop the Government from implementing its dreaded “mansion tax” in 2028. Cllr Campbell has ramped up her campaigning efforts by creating a powerful cross-party group of councils - duly dubbed "The Rebel Alliance" by The Citizen - to join forces with RBKC in challenging the Government...
The Chelsea Citizen is nominated for major media award – NO SHOCK!
The Chelsea Citizen has been nominated for a prestigious award in Press Gazette's highly credible Future of Media Awards. The Citizen - a humble, self-funded news operation - has been given the nod by judges for Website of the Year (Regional/Local) and is up against some of the best-resourced and biggest hitters in the regional press. Shortlisted...
EXCLUSIVE: Residents rally to save La Famiglia from “disaster” as ONE angry neighbour complains over garden noise
Iconic Italian restaurant La Famiglia has been a delicious dining fixture of Chelsea for 51 years and has attracted a sparkling guest list of celebrities and powerbrokers. Everyone who's anyone has at one time or another graced its beautiful blue and white tiled room on Langton Street, from Princesses Diana and Kate, to Placido Domingo and Mick...
Fight to save historic artists studios from the wrecking ball to make way for new bijoux houses
One of Chelsea's last surviving purpose-built artists' studio complexes is facing an uncertain future after plans were unveiled to replace it with five luxury townhouses. For more than a century Stanley Studios in Park Walk has provided creative workspace for generations of artists, including celebrated sculptor Dame Elizabeth Frink. Now...
Whole Foods clash with residents over noisy delivery lorries continues with no end in sight
A long-running feud between Whole Foods and Chelsea families over noisy delivery lorries is edging towards a showdown as the Council continues to investigate alleged breaches of planning conditions. Amazon-owned Whole Foods, which opened on the King's Road in March 2025, has been at loggerheads with residents whose homes back onto the store for...