How the Council is listening to residents through consultation

Published: Thursday 31 October 2024

Every three months the Council produces a report which measures how effective the consultation and participation team has been in engaging residents and using their feedback to inform Council decisions.

Since the Grenfell tragedy in 2017, and more recently the publication of the Grenfell Inquiry phase 2 report, we have pledged to become a Council that listens and involves residents in our day-to-day decision making.
The Council understands now more than ever how important it is that residents are listened to and can input into the decisions we make.


Key findings from the April to September 2024 report include:
  • We received 5,100 responses across 17 consultation exercises. This is naturally lower than the total number of responses received throughout the whole of 2023-24 (12,439) but given the data only covers the first six months, the number of responses is above target, and represents a positive amount of engagement. 
  • The target of having 85 per cent of consultations open for a minimum of six weeks was exceeded, with 100 per cent achieving this target in the second quarter. Providing longer consultation periods gives residents more time to participate and provide feedback. 
  • The goal of reaching a broad cross-section of residents is being met, with all 17 consultations that have completed so far this year including questions about respondents' demographic characteristics. This is important in making sure we are reaching seldom heard voices and aren’t acting on the views of just one group.
  • The Council's Citizens' Panel - a group of 2,000 residents who provide feedback on Council matters - is broadly representative of the population, with its demographic makeup currently within a margin of 1.3 per cent of the borough's demographics. The Council monitors the range of people on the panel and recruits new members from under-represented groups if needed.
  • We continue to close the consultation feedback loop, with 77 per cent of exercises in the last three months having a consultation report and information about how resident feedback was used to inform decisions published within three months of the exercise closing. We call these You Said, We Did reports, and you can find them on our website. 

Cllr Sarah Addenbrooke, lead member for communities and community safety, said:
“After the 2017 Grenfell Tragedy, Kensington and Chelsa Council were the first public sector organisation to sign up to the Hillsborough Charter and in addition signed up to the Charter for Public Participation, which empowers those impacted by major proposals or actions to be involved.

With the publishing of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report in September, the organisation is already working to reach out to all residents in the borough and encourage an active role in local decision making, via our campaign Your Community, Your Voice.”

As a listening Council that values the voices of our residents, we are always looking for more people to engage with us to make sure we are making decisions that represent you and reflect your views. We know there is always more to be done, so why not explore getting involved?


If you’re a resident who cares about Kensington and Chelsea, is interested in how the Council operates, and wants to have your voice heard, here’s how you can get involved: