Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting of Full Council held on 5 March 2025 are submitted for confirmation.

Councillor Addenbrooke requested that Councillor Isse be included with the other Conservative recorded votes regarding all the budget items. Subject to these amendments, Council confirmed, and the Mayor signed as a correct record, the minutes of the Council meeting held on 5 March 2025.

Any member of the Council who has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a matter to be considered at the meeting is reminded to disclose the interest to the meeting and to leave the Chamber while any discussion or vote on the matter takes place.

Members are also reminded that if they have any other significant interest in a matter to be considered at the meeting, which they feel should be declared in the public interest, such interests should be declared to the meeting. In such circumstances Members should consider whether their continued participation, in the matter relating to the interest, would be reasonable in the circumstances, particularly if the interest may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interests, or whether they should leave the Chamber while any discussion or vote on the matter takes place.

No Members made any declaration of interest.

The Mayor invited all Members of the Council and members of the public to the Mayor’s Charity Boxing Showdown, taking place on Saturday 10 May 2025 from 5pm to 10pm in the Great Hall at Kensington Town Hall. The event had been organised to raise awareness and funds for the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation’s vital mental health projects, which he felt deeply passionate about.

He informed the Council that he, Councillor Faulks and 18 others had been enrolled on a 12-week training programme led by Fit For Life Youth in North Kensington. The event would involve 10 bouts, food and drink, and a quiz at halftime hosted by Shaun Wallace from ITV’s The Chase. He added that tickets could be purchased by contacting the Mayor’s Office at [email protected] and all proceeds would go to the Mayor’s Charity.

(i)       Apologies for Absence

(ii)     Other Communications

Councillors Adam, Dr Ahmed, Faulks, Lindsey and Marshall submitted apologies for their absence.

Up to one hour has been set aside for Council to hear from people living, working, or studying in the Borough who have registered in advance to address this meeting.

(i)         Impact of multiple planning applications

Mr Michael Fallowes, a Redcliffe Ward resident, raised concerns about the cumulative effects of multiple simultaneous planning applications in one street. He highlighted excessive noise, suspended parking bays, traffic congestion, illegal parking, and inadequate enforcement, which impaired residents' quality of life. He urged the Council to take action to avoid these adverse effects and emphasised the need for better enforcement of planning regulations and policies to protect residents' rights and safety.

Councillor Kemahli, Lead Member for Planning and Public Realm addressed the complexities of planning permissions and the impact of national policies on local development. He expressed disappointment about the issue of protecting the trees from development and emphasised the importance of enforcement, and the number of fixed penalty notices that had been issued in the borough, particularly in the Boltons conservation area. He was frustrated with some scaffolders and added that the Council’s officers would be able to look into it. He highlighted the need for tangible outcomes from his upcoming meeting on Friday with residents and hoped that together a collaborative work plan could be formed to help them.

Councillor Lari, Opposition Spokesperson, agreed with the concerns raised regarding planning and construction management in the borough. He criticised the Planning Committees for having approved simultaneous applications, particularly basement excavations and their adverse impact on council taxpayers. He emphasised the importance of considering cumulative impact in planning decisions, citing examples from Little Boltons and other areas in Chelsea. He argued that local councillors should be held accountable for their decisions and suggested that change could be achieved through voting at the ballot box. He called for the Council to commit to changing its local plan and enforcement policies.

(ii)       Moving the Council to 100% Catering

Mr Christopher Welch proposed that RBKC make the transition to 100% plant-based catering for internal council meetings, canteens, and events. He emphasised that his suggestion was not about changing personal diets, but about the Council setting an example. Mr Welch stated that plant-based catering reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved public health by reducing diet-related illnesses, and was cost-effective due to longer shelf life and reduced waste. He concluded that his proposal supported RBKC's climate strategy, public health strategy, and fiscal responsibility, requiring no complex infrastructure or additional legislation to introduce.

Councillor Thalassites, Lead Member for Finance, Customer Services & Net Zero Council acknowledged the importance of advocating for change and highlighted the Council's progress in reducing catering for meetings and eliminating single-use plastics. He emphasised the need for offering vegetarian and vegan options daily while maintaining a choice for all dietary needs. He agreed on the significance of addressing the climate emergency and mentioned ongoing initiatives such as tree planting in the borough in Norland ward. He expressed willingness to discuss plant-based catering with colleagues when the Council’s catering contract was up for renewal but also stressed the importance of independent choice in dietary options for Council staff.

Councillor Benton, Opposition Spokesperson, responded by saying that whilst he  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Presentation of petitions (if any).

Councillor Simmons presented a petition to the Council. She read out the petitions’ prayer which asked the Council to put an end to plans to sell Canalside House to Ballymore and to stop its demolition. The petition asked the council to retain and fully refurbish Canalside House which provided vital community services to the people of North Kensington and beyond, and to stop the threat of eviction of the community groups’ residents in that building. The petition also called upon RBKC to protect the Council's most important community assets and to end the further sales or transfers of ownership.

[Under Standing Order 10 the petition, once submitted, will be referred to the Lead Member for Housing Management, Housing Safety & Building New Homes.]

Councillor Addenbrooke proposed that under Standing Order 42 that Standing Order 30 be suspended to allow the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Minority Party up to seven minutes for their statements to Council. This was seconded by Councillor Lari and agreed by the Members.

The Mayor invited the Leader of the Council to address the meeting. The Leader then rose to speak:

‘Mr Mayor, there is now one year to go until our local elections here in London, and you won’t be surprised to learn that we are gearing up on these benches already. We are out on doorsteps and making our presence felt in the community, but we will also be carrying on delivering our Council Plan.

Last Wednesday, the leadership team agreed 31 key priorities for the next year.

Key priorities that really matter to our residents. Mr Mayor, before I talk about those, it is important to talk about what we have already done and how we got here. Over 1000 residents helped to directly shape our Council Plan two years ago, and we have made real progress since. There’s too much progress to mention everything in one speech Mr Mayor, so I am afraid you’ll have to make do with just the highlights! On the Greener front, we have adopted our new Local Plan for a green, inclusive and liveable borough. We’ve planted over 400 new trees, meeting our manifesto commitment a year early, and we are making our buildings greener with a schools retrofit program providing over £14million for new windows, heat pumps and insulation. Towards our ambitions for a Safer borough, we have a brand-new street enforcement team with a warden in every ward, acting on the issues that matter most to our residents. We are taking action against utility companies, holding them to account for dangerous working practices that put our residents and visitors at risk.

And Mr Mayor we continue to work with our partners to support the Notting Hill Carnival. We are proud to host Carnival in this Borough. It is a vibrant celebration of our community’s culture, rooted in the resilience and togetherness of North Kensington and has been a mainstay of the area since the 1960’s. We are committed to Carnival, spending over £1 million every year to help facilitate the event. But Mr Mayor Carnival must be safe. Safety is of paramount importance to this borough, a view I know that the Carnival organisers share. The Deputy Leader, Kim Taylor-Smith has met with the event organisers, and over recent months we have worked with them to review arrangements to make the event safer. However, Carnival is an event of national significance, with over a million attending every day from all around the world. We are the smallest borough in London and need the expertise and support of the police and the Government alongside us. An event of such significance nationally, requires a collective effort across all levels of Government and I will be writing to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Mayor to announce the order of business for the remainder of the meeting.

The Mayor confirmed that the order of business would be as printed on the agenda.

Councillor Taylor-Smith moved, and Councillor Addenbrooke seconded the report’s reception, including the amendment to the schedule as laid out in the additional papers.

RESOLVED: That Council agreed to adopt the amended Municipal Timetable for May 2025 to December 2026.

There were no reports from the Leadership Team for the Council.

Councillor Hargreaves moved and Councillor Yankson seconded the report’s reception.

Councillors Hargreaves, Simmons and Weale spoke to the report.

RESOLVED: that Councillor Jedut be censured for the breaches of the Councillor Code of Conduct.

None of these committees had submitted a matter to Full Council.

(i)             Unresolved Housing Issues for Residents in North Kensington

Councillor Jedut queried RBKC council's claim to be the best as the Greener Safer Fairer borough. Concerns were raised about the unspent refurbishment funds for Burleigh and Treverton Estate playgrounds, the unfulfilled promise to resurface Treverton Street, and the lack of progress on green initiatives such as green roofs and solar panels. Additionally, she highlighted issues such as the removal of timber from the Estate, unpaid electricity bills, and the council's handling of NCIL funds. She stated that the residents were dissatisfied with the Spid Theatre's lease and the Council's failure to address disrepairs at Hewer Street were also noted.

Councillor McVeigh stated that she would provide a written response as the questions were many and detailed in length. However, she assured Members that she had visited the estates recently, and the Tenants’ Consultative Committee was active and met monthly. The webpages the Council held on its consultations were up to date and encouraged engagement, and she recommended everyone visit those to see what works the Council was intending on completing for its communities.

Councillor Jedut asked a supplementary question asking why she could not receive a verbal response in the meeting.

Councillor McVeigh explained that she would not be able to do justice to the 16 questions in the time allocated, so a response would be supplied in writing after the meeting.

(ii)           Lobbying Groups in the Planning Process

Councillor Lari sought clarity on whether the Council’s Leadership were informed of inappropriate behaviour by applicants of the Kensal Canalside development. These applicants hired individuals to solicit signatures from residents on blank documents without explanation and gained unlawful access to estates, causing dismay among residents. He explained that under the guise of an organisation named ‘Your Shout,’ they trespassed on Council-owned estates and manipulated submissions to the RBKC planning department. He asked whether the Lead Member could recommend that all submissions from ‘Your Shout’ and similar lobbying groups be formally discounted and excluded from the planning process in future to maintain the integrity of RBKC's planning procedures.

Councillor Kemahli responded by saying that he took an incredibly dim view of this practice, and RBKC was not the only London borough where this had been known to take place. He explained that he felt it wasn’t right for people to need to go to such lengths to get support for a scheme and for residents to feel pressured to sign blank documents, and he felt confident that the Council’s officers would be looking into it. He reassured the Council that whilst schemes may only have letters of objection submitted, committee members were also encouraged to recognise that the letters of support that aren’t sent because local people were satisfied with the proposals, should also be taken into consideration. He concluded by saying it would be investigated by officers thoroughly and that the committee report that comes forward would be sound and beyond reproach.

Councillor Lari asked a supplementary question asking whether the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Councillors may draw to the Council’s attention Ward or other ‘live’ issues that are primarily local in nature. Each Councillor raising such an issue under this Standing Order may speak for not more than two minutes, however they will receive no response at the meeting. No more than three Majority Group Councillors and one Minority Party or ungrouped Councillor may raise issues in this way per meeting. Councillors wishing to raise such matters must register their intent with the Head of Governance & Mayoralty prior to the meeting and such registration will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. The relevant Lead Member or Executive Director will be expected to respond to the Councillor raising this issue within six weeks.

Councillor Jedut sought to clarify her position regarding her having been censured. She explained that she felt she had been censured under false claims and that she had been made a target, and this had been reported in the press. She added that after the 2022 election she dove into her duties as a Councillor to help a resident, and she felt like she’d been unsupported by the Labour group and Council alike. 

Councillor Rendall announced the reopening of the mental health hospital in South Westminster by the local NHS Integrated Care Board, which would benefit residents with acute mental health needs. He praised Councillors Knight and Ahmed for their cross-party efforts and thanked the Bi-Borough Director of Health Partnerships for his hard work. After five years of lobbying and campaigning, residents would now be able to access and receive treatment closer to their own community.

Councillor Adourian brought to the Council’s attention the consultation led by the governors of St Cuthbert with St Matthias Primary School regarding the closure of the school due to a long-term decline in pupil numbers and rising house prices. As a former governor and Chair at the school, he praised the staff's efforts and the leadership of former head teacher Gill Putterill. He urged the Council to explore alternatives to closure, working with various organisations to preserve the school's legacy for the community.

Councillor Addenbrooke addressed the shocking gun violence in Golborne ward in 2024, highlighting the quick response from the police and the council's community safety team who had engaged with the community through pop-up stores, schools, faith groups, and residents’ meetings. Residents had requested more CCTV and joint sessions with the police and Council, and six additional cameras had been installed, with two more coming soon. Joint drop-in sessions had been successful, and she emphasised the Council’s commitment to tackling crime and improving safety.

More and more residents are making use of the services provided by Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and other gig economy platforms. However, this has come with significant side effects on our local high streets and nuisances to our residents.

We see delivery drivers/riders often cycling on pavements on one-way streets such as Earl’s Court Road, behave anti-socially when drivers are gathering outside restaurants and blocking the pavements forcing our residents onto busy roads. They are also not contributing to RBKC even though their business makes significant use of our parking infrastructure.

We therefore call on the Lead Member for Local Economy & Employment to reach out and sit down with the major gig economy delivery companies to discuss and create a borough plan to tackle those issues raised by our residents.

Moved by: Councillor Tim Verboven

Seconded by: Councillor Linda Wade

With Full Council’s consent under Standing Order 19.11, Councillor Tim Verboven moved, and Councillor Linda Wade seconded the altered text that:

‘More and more residents are making use of the services provided by Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and other gig economy platforms. However, this has come with significant side effects on our local high streets and nuisances to our residents.

We see delivery drivers/riders often cycling on pavements on one-way streets such as Earl’s Court Road, behave antisocially when drivers are gathering outside restaurants and blocking the pavements forcing our residents onto busy roads.

We’ve even witnessed a number of fist fights between gig economy drivers on our streets.

They are also not contributing to RBKC even though their business makes significant use of our parking infrastructure.

We therefore call on the Lead Member for Local Economy & Employment to reach out and sit down with the major gig economy delivery companies to discuss and create a borough plan to tackle those issues raised by our residents.’

Councillor Hamish Adourian then moved, and Councillor Gregory Hammond then seconded the following amendment.

‘More and more residents are making use of the services provided by Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and other gig economy platforms. Whilst we recognise the convenience these services bring and their contribution to the local economy, they have brought However, this has come with significant side effects on our local high streets and nuisances to our residents.

We see delivery drivers/riders often cycling on pavements on one-way streets such as Earl’s Court Road, behave antisocially when drivers are gathering outside restaurants and blocking the pavements forcing our residents onto busy roads. We’ve even witnessed a number of fist fights between gig economy drivers on our streets.

The riders and, by extension, the delivery platforms are also making They are also not contributing to RBKC even though their business makes significant use of our parking infrastructure to deliver their services.

We recognise this is a London-wide issue which the Mayor of London should be leading on. However, in RBKC we want to respond to the needs of our residents and weWe therefore call on the Lead Member for Local Economy & Employment to reach out and sit down with the major gig economy delivery companies to discuss and create a borough plan to tackle those issues raised by our residents.’

After the mover and seconder of the original motion and the amendment had spoken, a debate ensued with contributions from Councillors Will, Rossi, Benton, Bennett and Taylor-Smith.

The amendment was then put to the vote by the Mayor and was declared carried. The following became the substantive motion:

‘More and more residents are making use of the services provided by Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and other gig economy platforms. While we recognise the convenience these services bring and their contribution to the local economy, they have brought significant side effects on our local high streets and nuisances to our residents.

We see delivery drivers/riders often cycling on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16a

This Council recognises the challenges in managing and preserving our historic streets and townscape.

Recent proposals, including the redesign of the Holland Park roundabout by Transport for London, have underscored the urgency of community engagement in decisions affecting public spaces.

The establishment of a "Mayoral Development Area" around Oxford Street, coupled with the Mayor's new planning powers, raises significant concerns. The decision to control a Westminster-owned street without local support undermines our democratic processes.

Therefore, this Council calls upon the Lead Member for Environment to:

(i)             Establish a “Tree Protection Order” to safeguard the trees and green spaces along Holland Park Avenue and High Street Kensington, preserving our Borough’s unique character.

(ii)            Ensure that all future planning decisions regarding major thoroughfares involve meaningful consultation with local residents to reflect their needs and priorities.

By taking these actions, we will enhance our community’s environment, historical integrity, and ensure that future developments align with resident values. We urge all Council members to support this motion and stand against any undermining of our local authority by the Mayor.

Mover: Councillor Stéphanie Petit

Seconder: Councillor Aarien Areti

With Full Council’s consent under Standing Order 19.11, Councillor Petit moved, and Councillor Areti seconded the altered text that:

‘This Council acknowledges the ongoing challenges in managing and safeguarding our historic streets and townscape.

Recent proposals from Transport for London (TfL) for the redesign of Holland Park roundabout have raised significant concerns regarding their disrespect for local resident associations and the democratic consultation process. It has become alarmingly evident that TfL is proceeding without any care for the community, jeopardising both public safety and our historic environment.

The current plan routes cyclists across a busy roundabout, posing substantial dangers and raising the risk of accidents. The design funnelling cyclists into Holland Park Avenue ignores safer alternative routes, failing to accommodate those travelling from areas like Shepherd's Bush Green. This ill-conceived approach threatens to exacerbate congestion on surrounding roads and risks pushing more traffic onto residential streets, thereby increasing hazards for cyclists and pedestrians.

Moreover, we are increasingly worried about the implications of the Mayor's new planning powers and the establishment of the "Mayoral Development Area" around Oxford Street. This top-down approach has previously seen significant alterations made without local support or proper consultation. We fear that Holland Park Avenue may be subjected to similar disregard, jeopardising the roadway and the green spaces and trees that contribute to our borough’s character.

In light of these concerns, it is critical that we take action to protect our environment. Therefore, we call upon the Lead Member for the Public Realms to:

1. Establish a “Tree Protection Order”: Safeguard trees and green spaces along Holland Park Avenue and High Street Kensington as a direct response to the worrying trajectory of TfL's actions, ensuring that our unique character is preserved.

2. Ensure Genuine Consultation: Future planning decisions regarding significant thoroughfares, including the redesign of Holland Park roundabout, must involve meaningful consultation with local residents. Their needs and opinions should be at the forefront of any developments.

By taking these measures, we can uphold our community’s integrity, protect our historic streets, and ensure that any future developments reflect the will of local residents rather than being dictated by top-down mandates. We urge all Council members to support this motion in defending our borough against the encroachment of poorly considered plans from TfL and the Mayor.’

After the mover and seconder had spoken, a debate ensued with contributions from Councillors North, Lari, Jedut, Dent Coad, Simmons, Wade, Kemahli and Thalassites.

Councillor Lari then raised a point of order under Standing Order 28. He asked Cllr Thalassites to withdraw his comments.

The motion was then put to the vote by the Mayor and declared carried.

This Council notes the following:

      i.         On the 30th October 2024 the Labour Government announced that from April 2025 the rate of employers’ National Insurance contributions (NICs) will increase by 1.2 per cent and the threshold employers pay employers’ NICs on each employee’s salary is reducing from £9,100 to £5,000 a year.

     ii.         Additionally, the Employment Allowance will increase from £5,000 to £10,500.

    iii.         HMRC estimates that these measures combined will affect around 1.2 million employers from April 2025.

   iv.         The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) states this will result in an average annual tax increase in excess of £800 per employee.

     v.         This Council is deeply concerned by the OBR report which states that in 2025-26 employers will pass on 60 per cent of the higher costs to workers and consumers via lower wages and higher prices, and from 2026-27 onwards 76 per cent of the total cost is passed through lower real wages.

   vi.         There will be a serious impact to public services such as GPs, as well as private contractors that are procured by the Local Authority. For example, private care homes and providers – for both adults and children – will see increased employment costs, which in turn will increase the cost of these services to Kensington and Chelsea Council and the local taxpayer.

This Council believes the following:

      i.         The changes to NICs will have a damaging impact - estimated around £535k of direct cost and £2.4mn of indirect cost relating to external contracts - on Kensington and Chelsea Council.

     ii.         That the Labour Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, was right when she previously referred to any increase to NICs as a ‘jobs tax’ and ‘a tax purely on working people.’

Therefore, this Council requests that:

Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Lead Member for Finance, Customer Services and Net Zero investigates the implications of the NICs changes and makes a written submission to Government on impacts.

Moved by: Councillor Tom Bennett

Seconded by: Councillor Hamish Adourian

The Mayor deferred this motion to the next meeting.

There were no appointments to be made.

[Each written report on the public part of the Agenda as detailed above:

(i)   was made available for public inspection from the date of the Agenda;

(ii)  incorporates a list of the background papers which (i) disclose any facts or matters on which that report, or any important part of it, is based; and (ii) have been relied upon to a material extent in preparing it. (Relevant documents which contain confidential or exempt information are not listed.); and

(iii)  may, with the consent of the Mayor and subject to specified reasons, be supported at the meeting by way of oral statement or further written report in the event of special circumstances arising after the despatch of the Agenda.]

Exclusion of the Press and Public

There are no matters scheduled to be discussed at this meeting that would appear to disclose confidential or exempt information under the provisions Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Should any such matters arise during the course of discussion of the above items or should the Mayor agree to discuss any other such matters on the grounds of urgency, the Council will wish to resolve to exclude the press and public by virtue of the private nature of the business to be transacted.  

The Mayor had no urgent items.