Published: Tuesday 6 October 2026
Nine in ten people who responded to our consultation have backed our plans to challenge Government funding changes that could leave Kensington and Chelsea more than £100 million worse off over four years.
A total of 1,499 people responded to the consultation, with 90 per cent strongly supporting our proposal and a further three per cent supporting it.
What were we asking?
We asked residents whether we should use the Sustainable Communities Act to press the Government to reconsider its Fair Funding review.
The proposed changes would reduce our funding by more than £100 million over four years – equivalent to more than 40 per cent of our controllable budget.
What did residents tell us?
The consultation ran from Wednesday 2 September to Sunday 4 October 2026.
Of the 1,499 people who took part:
- 90 per cent strongly supported our proposed challenge.
- Three per cent supported it.
- A majority said us being able to keep a greater share of money raised locally, including through business rates, stamp duty and income tax was their top priority.
You can see the full results of the consultation on our website.
Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said:
“Almost 1,500 people took the time to share their views and I want to thank every one of them for getting involved. The scale of the response shows just how strongly our residents feel about this issue and how important it is that their voices are heard.
“I have been clear from the outset that we must continue to fight for a fairer funding settlement for Kensington and Chelsea. I am not prepared to implement the scale of service cuts and tax rises required without exhausting every avenue first to challenge the Government’s decision.
“We will now look carefully at what people have told us and I’ll discuss the findings and our proposed next steps with my leadership team before we go back to Government.”
Why are we challenging the funding changes?
The Government’s Fair Funding review changes the way funding is distributed between councils.
We estimate the changes would leave Kensington and Chelsea more than £100 million worse off over four years.
We believe a reduction on this scale would put significant pressure on local services and residents.
We have been working with Westminster and Wandsworth Councils, which are also affected by the proposed changes, to explore how we can challenge the new funding arrangements.
What is the Sustainable Communities Act?
The Sustainable Communities Act gives councils a formal route to put proposals to central government where they believe changes are needed to improve the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of their communities.
We consulted residents on whether we should use the Act to ask the Government to reconsider its funding plans.
What happens next?
We will now analyse the consultation responses in detail, and Cllr Campbell will discuss the findings and our proposed next steps with her leadership team on Tuesday 13 October.