RBKC Direct: Elderly care, Chelsea to Hackney line, Warwick Road and the emissions consultation.

As people live longer, looking after older residents is posing an increasing challenge for local authorities. Kensington and Chelsea residents have the highest life expectancy in the country, and the council is committed to ensuring that our older population enjoys the comfortable and active retirement which is vital for maintaining good health in old age. This year will see two new facilities in Kensington and Chelsea opening their doors to help achieve our aims in this area.

Plans for a new tube line from Chelsea to Hackney have historically meant the new line would have two stations in the borough – King's Road (near Chelsea Old Town Hall) and Sloane Square. But in announcing a consultation on the issue earlier this year, the Department for Transport removed any reference to a station at Sloane Square and provided no explanation.

Creating new living space in the borough is essential, but this needs to be balanced with a suitable infrastructure which can support a growing community. A large area– made up of four separate sites– at the north end of Warwick Road, in the central part of the borough, has recently come to the Council’s attention as a potential site for complete redevelopment.

In the middle of the August holiday period, the Mayor of London announced a consultation over plans to alter the way cars are charged – the new changes could hit residents and businesses within the borough hard. The Mayor proposes to charge those vehicles which produce the highest amount of carbon emissions £25 a day to drive inside the congestion zone.