Revitalising Kensington High Street
Kensington High Street, like all UK high streets, is under pressure from online businesses. We are working with businesses and residents to help the High Street to survive and thrive in a changing world.
November 2019 update: Revitalising Kensington High Street – Celebrating Culture
Read about the progress that has been made in delivering the projects discussed at the event on 10 April in the newsletter:
Revitalising Kensington High Street event April 2019
An event was held on 10 April, in partnership with the Kensington Business Forum, in the Mayor’s Parlour. Over 120 people attended, approximately half were from businesses, both small and large, and about a third were residents. There were presentations from Lucy Elliott, Chair of the business forum, Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of the Council and Jace Tyrell Chief Executive of the New West End Company and a Q&A session followed by the opportunity for attendees to view and comment on a number of ideas for revitalising the High Street:
- The Council’s Economic Development Strategy and the opportunity to establish a Business Improvement District / Community improvement District.
Document
- Kensington High Street Map (produced by the council in partnership with the business forum), Christmas decorations (the business forum’s fundraising initiative and the council’s Capital Budget funding commitment) and the Kensington Business Forum website (funded through Campden and Abbingdon wards’ City Living Local Life budget).
Document
- Opportunities to enliven the Town Hall Square and Library through creation of a café under the Council Chamber, making the Town Hall Square into a useable for events like markets and reconfiguring and adding to the Central Library’s services.
- Cultural interventions to establish Creative Kensington High Street through street banners and the introduction of a series of creative crossings sponsored by the area’s cultural institutions and businesses.
- Greening the High Street through installing two parklets on the pavements providing seating surrounded by greenery.
Document
- Details of the new developments underway in and near the High Street: Lancer Square; Boots redevelopment; redevelopment of the cinema and sorting office, redevelopment of Olympia.
- The results of a survey of local resident’s views conducted before the event that received 180 responses.
All of the ideas presented were generally well received and a number of attendees have provided contact details so that they can be kept informed and contribute to further development of all of these projects, and any others that may emerge on future.
If you would like to be included in future work on revitalising Kensington High Street please email [email protected].