This planning application has been with Kensington and Chelsea Council since October 2023. Negotiations continue between the developers and council officers.

The details of the proposals remain on the Project Flourish consultation website. The RBKC online planning file for this application PP/23/06575 now publishes over 4,300 documents. These include a set of revised application, on which a re-consultation was held in April/May 2023-5. The remainder are representations for and against the proposals.

Our Forum has submitted a second objection. This flags up the fact the GLA officers see regeneration of the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area as being reliant on additional bridges to overcome the problem of an ‘island’ site with a single point of access/egress on Ladbroke Grove.

The GLA has prepared ‘pen portraits’ of all 47 Opportunity Areas in London. These form part of the recent consultation on Towards a London Plan. They explain the main features of each OA and end with a ‘proposition’ on categorisation within the next London Plan.

For Kensal Canalside, no change from the 2021 London Plan status of ‘nascent’ is proposed. This Opportunity Area is not seen as being ‘ready to grow’ or ‘underway’ without the necessary public transport infrastructure.

Our second objection can be read or downloaded below. This site remains unsuitable for high density housing until these basic infrastructure issues are resolved.

Kensington and Bayswater MP Joe Powell has set out four ‘tests’ which he considers that the planning application will need to meet, before he can give his support as the local MP. These are as follows:

1. There must be a significant quantity of social and genuinely affordable housing. The current proposal of approximately 20% affordable housing, of which two-thirds will be for social rent, is simply not good enough. In addition, I do not think lessons are being learned from other major developments across London where large quantities of new build flats are sold off-plan overseas before local people get a look in. I want guarantees that this will not happen in this case.
2. There must be a serious plan for transport connections to the site. As it stands, the risk is the site becomes a giant cul-de-sac with no infrastructure to create new connection points other than onto Ladbroke Grove. Initially two bridges were promised, one North to Kensal Cemetery and one south across the mainline railway. As it stands it is not clear either will happen. In addition, the potential for a proper Westward connection to the new Old Oak Common station should be given more consideration. Clearly, it would be nonsensical to not link up these two major development sites.
3. Community infrastructure needs to be guaranteed. Some of the most effective charities in North Kensington are currently based on the site, and the additional population will need community spaces – not just commercial. I know how much of a pressure is already on our community spaces so this development must provide the outdoor space, buildings, healthcare provision and other amenities everyone can use. Of course, with many our schools seriously struggling from low enrolment it’s also vital enough family-sized housing is provided for so that our local schools get a boost too.
4. Public health must be independently protected. Building in our part of London inevitably means using brownfield sites, and as in this case they often require remediation work. I believe we must make use of brownfield sites for housing but it must also be done safely. Therefore I am calling for independent monitoring of the gasworks remediation including full transparency for residents of data, and regular public meetings where progress will be shared with the community. I know people are concerned about what the remediation work will mean for air quality and pollution. It’s essential that those concerns are taken seriously.

Kensington and Chelsea Council faces a difficult decision, give the enormous number of objections to thsi planning application. And the prospects of local elections in May 2026 does not make things any easier.