KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

QUALITY REVIEW PANEL 

Silchester Housing designed by Haworth Tompkins with LUC for Peabody © Philip Vile

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is unique in many ways – with diverse communities, places of great cultural significance and an abundance of attractive streets and squares. Seventy five per cent of the borough falls within a conservation area, with over 4,000 listed buildings and monuments. It has the smallest population of any London borough, but some of the highest population densities in the country. There is a pressing need for more housing – and, in particular, affordable homes. 

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Protecting and enhancing Kensington and Chelsea’s outstanding heritage is a priority, but the borough also wants to see its less historic areas becoming the conservation areas of tomorrow. 

The Design Museum at the Grade II* Listed former Commonwealth Institute, by John Pawson © Ardfern / Wikimedia Commons

The Local Plan makes a commitment to ‘upholding the residential quality of life through cherishing quality in the built environment, acting on environmental issues and facilitating local living, including through strengthening neighbourhood centres and maintaining and updating social infrastructure.’

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The independent, expert advice provided by the Quality Review Panel is supporting the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in meeting those objectives through high quality design – to the benefit of all those who visit, live and work in the borough.

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The Kensington and Chelsea Quality Review Panel is chaired by Catherine Burd, Director of Burd Haward Architects.

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Mixed use building, Sloane Square, Chelsea © AKT II

St Thomas' CE Primary School and flats in North Kensington © Pollard Thomas Edwards

Holland Park © Herry Lawford / Flickr