Our high street research
Future High Street Programme
Our High Street Principles
These principles have been drawn from extensive community engagement and were developed in partnership with Centre for London. They work to encourage healthy high streets which combine retail, hospitality and essential services in a way that is engaging and sustainable.
Our high streets should:
- be places people want to visit and spend time in by offering facilities, services and attractions.
- be adaptable and proactive to meet future needs by allowing for and supporting innovative and creative solutions.
- work for everyone by ensuring the provision of accessible facilities, commercial space and public realm that meets the needs of all ages and disabilities.
- encourage active travel by ensuring provision for cycle parking/hire, a pedestrian-friendly public realm and supporting traffic reduction schemes.
- be places that celebrate their own individual character and history by supporting their communities’ unique needs and offering bespoke cultural events and activities.
- be part of the solution to the climate crisis by reducing emissions and adapting to changing conditions, and encouraging greening.
- be places for creativity, culture, and art by supporting festivals, events, and activities.
- support existing businesses and encourage economic growth by working with and encouraging new Business Improvement Districts (BIDS), landowners and commercial tenants
Local action plans
We want our high streets to be places that are welcoming, where residents want to spend time and where visitors want to return to again and again. One way we are working to support our high streets is through the development of a series of adaptable Local Action Plans.
Local Action Plans are guided by our high street principles, as well as the Council’s streetscape guide. They are place-based projects which are shaped by local community engagement and informed by key criteria, to ensure they are deliverable, impactful, and well maintained. Informal community engagement will form the basis of all projects.
Future High Streets Research
Centre for London (CfL) were commissioned to investigate the future of the borough’s high streets in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their research examined the effects of temporary interventions that the Council implemented, such as al fresco dining pavement licences.
The first phase of work looked at looked at placemaking and high streets, with an in-depth analysis of Gloucester Road, Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Road. This led to a template for all future Local Action Plans with proposed interventions such as more greening, seating, public art, events, and walking routes. The templates draw from the Council-led high street engagement and was supplemented with CfL’s own analysis and research.
Find out more information about the high streets research.
Consultation
To help us understand priorities and build an evidence base for future ambitions and interventions to Kensington and Chelsea’s high streets, we asked anyone living, working or visiting the borough to share their views on what they wanted to see improved and how they use their local high street.
The online survey received over 1,000 comments between August 2021 and February 2022. In addition, workshops were held with Residents’ Associations and members of the Council Citizens’ Panel. This input has provided valuable insights and helped inform the work programme going forward.
View the consultation findings in full.