RBKC Council has announced a 12-week consultation to review and refresh its Charter for Public Participation.

Initially introduced in 2019 to rebuild trust between the council and local residents following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the initiative aspires to encourage people to participate in local decision-making.

This consultation is part of RBKC’s response to the Grenfell Inquiry Report, which advised RBKC that it must be more ready to hear feedback from its communities and that all voices should be “heard and valued”.

RBKC is up-dating the original Charter in a consultation process entitled ‘Shaping the Future of Public Participation’, which it says is all about how people “can influence local services, get involved in decision-making, and make a difference”. It adds that all feedback will help “boost the inclusivity, transparency and effectiveness of Council operations”.

The existing Charter was written by the council with contributions from residents and ward councillors. It can be read in full here.

Residents are encouraged to complete a survey of 11 key questions. Some of the questions focus on the degree to which residents currently feel they can “influence” Council policy and affect change. It also asks how the council can help residents connect better with matters of local politics.

In a statement, Cllr Sarah Addenbrooke (Abingdon Ward), lead member for Communities and Community Safety, said:

‘Residents should have a real voice in shaping our community and influencing the decisions we make. This consultation is an opportunity for people to tell us what works, what needs improvement, and how we can ensure that public participation in Kensington and Chelsea is as inclusive and accessible as possible.

‘We are already committed to involving residents in various ways, from questions at full Council, community forums and resident panels to consultations and various focus groups. This refresh of the Charter will build on existing initiatives, ensuring that residents continue to have a stake in their communities.’

On its website, RBKC affirms: ‘Now more than ever, the Council wants to work in partnership with residents to shape services. To inform the updated Charter, we want to ask you some questions to understand a bit about your involvement locally, your attitudes to influencing local decision-making, and how can we do better in our dealings and communication with you around public involvement.’

Residents can share their views via the online consultation platform. For copies of the survey in other languages or formats, email Daniel Betts (Governance Services) at daniel.betts@rbkc.gov.uk or call 07814 361 723 from Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm.

Residents have until Monday, 23rd of June, to complete the survey.

The survey can be found here.