RBKC

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea met last night (Wednesday 7 March) to agree its budget for 2012-13. The budget introduces cuts worth up to £14 million and follows a reduction in central government funding for the borough of £9 million.

Council leader Sir Merrick Cockell, said: "Although we have to reduce our spending, we are doing all we can to deliver services of good, often excellent, quality, making sure they are targeted at those most in need."

This is the question being asked for the Electoral Review taking place during 2012.  The review will examine the size of the council and ward boundaries.  Currently there are 54 Councillors in Kensington and Chelsea, members of the public living and working in the borough have the opportunity to give their views on issues such as whether the Royal Borough could operate effectively with less Councillors or does it need more? Should each ward be continued to be represented by 3 Councillors.

The Council has published its draft budget proposals for 2012-13 and are seeking your comments in the coming weeks.

The proposals will be finalised by a Cabinet meeting on 22 February before discussion at a full Council meeting on 7 March.

You can download the Draft Budget Proposals 2012-13 as a PDF from the council website. 

Comments can be submitted up to midday Friday 17 2012.

A number of senior tri-borough directors have now been appointmented to head up newly merged departments across Kensington and Chelsea and neighbouring boroughs, Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster.

The appointments are part of efforts to save money through sharing posts and delivering joint services to the residents of the three boroughs.

The appointments made so far are:

Share your thoughts on life in the Royal Borough and on council performance by taking part in a residents panel.

If you live in Kensington and Chelsea you can join over 1,000 other residents to take part in regular consultations. The council regularly consults in a number of ways and wil soon be launching a new website to make it easier for you to have your say.

10,000 residents chosen at random will receive letters this week asking them to consider signing up.

The council are seeking your views on an important planning consultation on the area encompassing the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre and West Kensington in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Both are both outlined in a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which takes into account a whole range of issues, from affordable housing provision to transport capacity, open space, community facilities and the size, location, design and layout of any new buildings, public spaces and streets.

Up to 70 participants from across Kensington and Chelsea’s voluntary and community sector mixed with councillors and local statutory officers at Shaping the Future, the Social Council Conference and AGM on Thursday 17 November.

The outlook for the local sector was the theme of the day and discussion focussed on how organisations could continue to support local residents in the years ahead.

RBKC Adult Social Care is now accepting applications for funding for 2012-13. Organisations have until 28 October to apply for sums up to £50,000.

Further details including the guidance notes and application forms are available on our funding pages here

Amongst the wealth and prosperity of Kensington and Chelsea sit deep pockets of poverty and deprivation. One of our greatest concerns is the impact this has on some of the borough’s children.

We have recently produced a new briefing 'The Truth About Child Poverty' highlighting the most recent figures and outlining their consequebnces. We have also produced a map showing the disparity between levels of child poverty between the borough's poorest wards and it's most prosperous.

The Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle have highlighted the impending threat of job losses in Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea as a consequence of tri-borough proposals.

The blueprint for combining Children's, Adult Social Care, Environmental and Library Services was announced this week and is intended to save up to £33 million.

115 jobs are under threat across the three councils.