Kensington and Chelsea Quality Review Panel

The Planning Duty Officer telephone service remains suspended

Thank you for contacting the RBKC Planning department.

You can search, view and comment on applications using the Planning Applications Search on the council's website. The service is updated regularly, and key milestones and target dates are shown under "Proposal Details".

If you have submitted an application that is still within its statutory determination period, or an agreed extension of time, a progress update may not yet be available. If you need to speak to the planning officer dealing with your application, you can email them directly. Their contact details can be found in:

  • your planning application acknowledgement letter
  • any emails or letters about your application

For more information about planning applications, planning guidance, planning enforcement and other planning services, visit planning and building control.

Planning advice for your business or property is also available through our pre-application advice.

New arrangement for planning decisions from 31 October

The National Scheme of Delegation comes into force on 31 October 2026. The scheme changes the arrangements for deciding which planning applications can be determined by planning officers and which are referred to Planning Committee. 

Following Full Council on 21 October 2026, the Council’s Constitution has been updated to reflect the new arrangements.

We have published further information explaining how the process will work in RBKC, including the role of ward councillors, the Gateway process and our new Member Representation Meeting. 

Last updated: 2 November 2026

The Kensington and Chelsea Quality Review Panel was established to help promote good growth and the highest quality in new development. The panel is made up of 27 independent and experienced professionals from a broad range of backgrounds including experts in:

  • sustainability
  • transportation planning
  • inclusive design.

The Quality Review Panel provides expert advice to applicants, council officers and the planning committee during the pre-application process, and by commenting on planning applications.

The panel is provided by Frame Projects and is funded independently of the council. Applicants are referred to the panel by the council as an external service and fees are paid to Frame Projects. If we refer an application to the panel, the design of the proposal will be assessed, and the panel will provide advice on design quality.

Find out more about the panel and its terms of reference.

Costs

Charges for Quality Review Panel meetings:

  • full review: £6,750 + VAT

  • intermediate review: £4,800 + VAT

  • chair’s review: £3,650 + VAT

Contact us

Quality Review meetings should be organised through your planning case officer.

Annual Reports

Last updated: 20 January 2026