Chapter 11 Kensington High Street
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Chapter 11 Kensington High Street building, Kensington Town Hall adjacent to the High Chapter 11 Kensington Street,as well as Sony and Warners and other High Street smaller offices. 11.1 Introduction 11.1.7 The centre has benefited from comprehensive public realm improvements, that 11.1.1 Kensington High Street has been one of have gained international acclaim. This has put in London’s top retail streets for the last 100 years. place high-quality, York-stone paving, created a The centre lost some of its original raison d’être as central reservation bike park and removed street the biggest concentration of department stores clutter, particularly guard railing. These outside Oxford Street with the closure of Pontings improvements have made crossing the street much and Derry and Tom’s in the early 1970s, and more easier, the pedestrian environment more recently Barker’s. In the seventies Derry and Tom’s comfortable and encouraged higher footfall on the became the home of the legendary Biba emporium northern side of the street (previously footfall was (once described as ‘the most beautiful store in the heavily concentrated on the southern side). world’), making Kensington High Street a fashion 11.1.8 Despite the public realm improvements, destination. With the closure of Biba in the mid people still perceive traffic congestion and the seventies, this role was continued by Hyper Hyper irregularity of the District and Circle Lines to be in the eighties and Kensington Market, which issues. High Street Kensington Station is a major survived until comparatively recently, and remains public transport interchange and the High Street is reflected today in the cluster of young fashion also served by a large number of buses. The Circle shops in the eastern end of the centre. Line service is due to be extended to Hammersmith 11.1.2 At its western end there is a highly via Paddington in December 2009. unusual cluster of bespoke travel agents and 11.1.9 The Grade II* Listed Commonwealth outdoor leisure shops that attracts destination Institute building is at the western end of the centre. shoppers. However, other shops, such as A high-quality public institutional use could help to hardware, are not well represented. Women’s enhance the attractiveness of the High Street and fashion also remains strong, and the centre is attract more visitors. To that end it is included as anchored by Whole Foods Market and Marks and a Strategic Site Allocation within this Core Strategy Spencer in the eastern end. The side streets - see Chapter 24. A planning application was contain many bars, pubs and restaurants. received in 2009 which included modifications to 11.1.3 Kensington Church Street and the the building for the Design Museum, with enabling surrounding side streets are home to fashion residential development also on the site. The retailers, antique shops, cafés and delicatessens. Council is minded to grant permission subject to a Many of these shops are independently-owned s.106 agreement. rather than chain stores. 11.1.10 The Odeon cinema is opposite the 11.1.4 With the opening of Westfield London in Commonwealth Institute. Maintaining a high-quality 2008, Kensington High Street was identified as the cinema in this location is essential. most likely of our centres to suffer. The street is a 11.1.11 The eastern end of the Kensington High long one, and it is difficult to maintain retail vitality Street runs to the south of Kensington Gardens. along its full length.The High Street performs more The London Plan considers that both the Royal strongly in the summer because of visitor Park and the area immediately to the west (an area attractions and events. which contains a number of embassies) to form 11.1.5 As well as being a major shopping part of the 'agglomeration of vitally important destination, Kensington High Street also serves a activities that define London’s role as a world city'. large, densely-developed residential community As such it has been been included within the that can walk into the centre. Central Activities Zone (CAZ). The London Plan offers an 'indicative boundary' for the CAZ and 11.1.6 The centre has a significant amount of notes that this should be refined by the local office floorspace with the Associated Newspaper planning authority. The detailed boundary is Group located in the upper floors of the old Barker’s confirmed within the Proposals Map in Section 2a, Chapter 28. Core Strategy with a Focus on North Kensington Adopted 8th December 2010 1 SECTION 1 SPATIAL STRATEGY 11.2 Vision - to visitors staying in hotels near the centre, to encourage them to visit or to stay longer particularly during the summer(1). CV 11 11.3.3 Due to its high public transport Vision for Kensington High Street in 2028 accessibility, Kensington High Street will be a preferred location for large-scale offices. New Kensington High Street will have redefined its office developments, both large and small, would role to ensure that it distinguishes its offer from be particularly welcome on upper floors, particularly Westfield, Knightsbridge and King's Road.The to grow the media industry in the centre. The centre will have continued its long tradition as Council supports offices rather than homes above (2) Kensington’s High Street, serving residents, shops in primary retail frontages . workers and visitors. It will continue to provide a good range of food and other convenience 11.3.4 In order to support the key shopping role retailing and remain a destination for fashion of the centre, the loss of shops will be rigorously assessed to ensure the necessary flexibility does and certain niche markets. Ease of pedestrian (3) movement will be central to this success. not undermine the vitality of the centre . Re-use of the former Commonwealth Institute 11.3.5 The Council will work to establish a new for a significant public institution will have public institutional use for the Commonwealth attracted increased visitor numbers and (4) Institute . It will also require the retention of a developed a further niche retail cluster at the (5) high-quality cinema on the Odeon site . western end of the High Street. The cinema will have been maintained. Keeping Life Local 11.3.6 The Council supports the centre continuing to offer a wide range of convenience 11.3 Priorities for Action retailing, with particular emphasis on food retailing, from specialist delicatessens to supermarkets, and 11.3.1 The priorities for action for Kensington services like the library, for local residents, workers High Street have been set out under the Strategic (6) and visitors . Objectives for the Core Strategy as a whole. The Strategic Objectives are not listed in the same order Renewing the Legacy for each place, instead they have been listed in order of importance for delivering the vision for 11.3.7 There are a number of listed buildings in each place. and adjacent to the centre: the former Vestry Hall/Library, the 'Art Deco' former department Fostering Vitality stores (Derry and Toms (Grade II*) and Barkers), St Mary Abbots Church, at the Kensington Church 11.3.2 The Council will work with retailers, Street junction; the former Commonwealth Institute landlords, residents and other stakeholders to build (Grade II*), and Kensington Palace and Holland upon and market the existing strengths of the House (both Grade I) at either end of the High centre: the young fashion cluster, bespoke travel Street. Most of the High Street also falls within and outdoor leisure goods, and independent retail designated conservation areas, and just to the rear in Kensington Church Street. In particular there is of the Barkers building lies Kensington Square, one an opportunity to publicise the retail offer and other of the first Garden Squares in London. attractions of the area - Kensington Palace, Leighton House, Linley Sambourne House, Holland Park Opera, Kensington Gardens and Holland Park 1 See Corporate and Partner Action 1, in the Fostering Vitality, Chapter 31. 2 See Policy CF 5, Location of Business Uses in the Fostering Vitality, Chapter 31. 3 See Policy CF2, Retail Development within Town Centres and Policy CF3, Diversity of Uses within Town Centres, in the Fostering Vitality Chapter 31. 4 See Policy CK1, Social and Community Uses, in the Keeping Life Local, Chapter 30, the former Commonwealth Institute Strategic Site Allocation within Section 2a Allocations and Designations and the Tent in the Park Adopted SPD. 5 See Policy CK1, Social and Community Uses, in the Keeping Life Local, Chapter 30. 6 See Policy CK1, Social and Community Uses and Policy CK2, Local Shopping Facilities, in the Keeping Life Local, Chapter 30. 2 Adopted 8th December 2010 Core Strategy with a Focus on North Kensington SECTION 1 SPATIAL STRATEGY 11.3.8 The versatility of our built heritage is 11.3.14 The Commonwealth Institute and the shown by the way the department stores have been space in front of it makes a welcome contrast to remodelled to meet current retailing requirements. the High Street. To bring the Commonwealth Similarly, the former Commonwealth Institute can Institute back into use enabling development might be adapted to a new public institutional use that be required, which could include development on can anchor the west end of the High Street(7). The the frontage(13). Design Museum is actively interested in moving to this site, and the Council fully supports this initiative Better Travel Choices (8). 11.3.15 Since the significant public realm 11.3.9 The Council also supports proposals to improvements to the High Street, cycling has improve visitor facilities at Kensington Palace(9).