Kingston faces council tax hikes as funding redirected to North and Midlands
#48: Developer proposes 2,000 new homes on green belt in Chessington, consultation on new six storey residential building in Kingston, Kingston among boroughs with lowest threshold for petitions to be heard by the Full Council, TfL research shows 20mph speed limits save lives, Thames Water nationalisation prep 'stepped up', Kingston’s ‘unfair parking charges’ petition reaches second highest ever number of signatures, Bentalls: The Kingston Department Store since 1867 – free talk, new musical odyssey at Rose Theatre, FUSE International Festival, Kingston Dragon Boat Race, meet the author of Call the Puffins, Summer Open Day at the River Club in Old Malden, free garden open days at Hampton Court Palace, Taste of the Caribbean Food and Drink Festival in Kingston, In Conversation at Kew Gardens lineup, London Climate Action Week, winning design revealed for a new national memorial honouring Queen Elizabeth II, and more.
Hello and welcome to another issue of Love Kingston packed with local stories and what’s on in and around Kingston.
A quick note to say that I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off, but will return with the next issue of Love Kingston around mid-July.
Wishing you lots of sunshine and summer joy!
AH
START WITH A SMILE: Stuff to cheer us up
Conservation efforts bearing fruit: With Britain languishing in the bottom 10% of countries when it comes to the intactness of its biodiversity, threat to wildlife across the globe, and ‘drill baby drill’ mantra from across the pond, you may be forgiven for thinking things are only getting worse. Well, here are reasons to be optimistic courtesy of the Rewilding Futures conference held recently in Cambridge. Its organisers, Citizen Zoo, highlighted stories that show signs of a turning tide. Mozambique, ravaged by civil war in the 80s, has seen wildlife recover to above pre-war numbers. In South America, Conservation Land Trust has helped buy back large swathes of land to create 19 million sq km devoted to nature. Britain has more nature reserves now than McDonalds restaurants. And Atlantic bluefin tuna numbers are up by 400%. Something to smile about indeed!
LOCAL STORIES: Stuff you need to know
Kingston faces council tax hikes as funding redirected to North and Midlands: Wealthier suburban London boroughs such as Kingston face council tax hikes of over 5% or a hit to services under a £2bn funding change to town hall funding, reports LBC. The proposed financial reforms could see funding channelled to more deprived and rural areas and are set to benefit the North and Midlands. Changes to business rates retention system could further hit London boroughs which collect large amounts of business rates compared to many other parts of the country. LBC quotes the local government minister Jim McMahon: “We will work with councils to fix what is broken, moving around £2 billion of funding to the places and communities that need it most and modernising council tax administration.”
Developer proposes 2,000 new homes on green belt in Chessington: Developer Poppymill has proposed a new development, to be called Hook Park, comprising up to 2,000 new homes to be built on green belt in Chessington. The area includes The Dell and Chessington Equestrian Centre, covering approximately 50 acres in total, and is bordered by Clayton Road to the south, the A3 to the west and north, and council-owned land to the east. The developer proposes to create ‘a multi-generational community, with family housing alongside affordable homes of various tenures.’ Prior to submitting a formal planning application to Kingston Council, the developer is conducting a series of public consultations where local residents can view the proposals and share their views:
Saint Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, Leatherhead Road, KT9 2H
4pm-8pm, 26th June 2025
Kings Centre, Coppard Gardens, Chessington, KT9 2GZ
10am-2pm, 28th June 2025
Saint Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, Leatherhead Road, KT9 2HY
4pm-8pm, 2nd July 2025
Consultation on new six storey residential building in North Kingston closing in few days: Consultation on a new development straddling Richmond Road and Canbury Park Road, a few metres from Kingston Train Station is closing on Monday 30 June. The planning application submitted to Kingston Council on 16 May 2025 proposes the demolition of building (Use Class E) at 2 Canbury Park Road, and erection of two storey cafe (Use Class E) and six storey residential building (Use Class C3). Full planning application (Ref: 25/10357/FUL) to view and comment on is available here. Remember, the opportunity to provide feedback closes on 30 June and the council has set a deadline of Tuesday 26 August 2025 for their decision.
Kingston among boroughs with lowest threshold for a petition to be heard by the Full Council: Petition rules in some London boroughs give virtually no chance of Full Council hearing, effectively denying voice to residents. Kingston, however, is among London boroughs with lowest threshold for a petition where the Full Council will debate the subject – 1,000 signatures will get your petition in front of the Full Council. This compares to 10,000 signatures for Wandsworth, 5,000 for Hammersmith and Fulham, 2,500 for Kensington and Chelsea. However, of the 101 petitions submitted to Kingston Council since 2010, to date, only 2 have reached the threshold (one of which we discuss below). Case for lowering the threshold?
TfL research shows 20mph speed limits save lives on London’s roads: Most roads across Royal Borough of Kingston now have 20mph speed limit. The introduction of this lower speed limit from 30mph has not always been welcomed by all drivers. However, analysis by Transport for London of more than 150 20mph schemes implemented between 1989 and 2013 shows that people killed or seriously injured on borough roads reduced by 34 per cent following implementation of 20mph speed limits. TfL’s report shows that 20mph schemes significantly reduced the number of deaths and serious injury, including:
40% reduction in the number of people killed
34% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured
75% reduction in the number of children killed
35% reduction in collisions.
Thames Water nationalisation prep 'stepped up': The government has ‘stepped up’ its preparations for the potential temporary nationalisation of Thames Water, reports BBC. Speaking in Parliament, the environment secretary Steve Reed said the government "stand ready for all eventualities." The embattled utility company’s future was thrown into doubt when the US private equity giant KKR pulled out of a £4bn rescue deal. A £17bn plan for the recapitalisation of the water company has now been submitted to Ofwat by the Thames Water Creditor Group. Thames Water serves about quarter of the UK’s population including London.
LOCAL DEMOCRACY: Stuff that affects your neighbourhood
Kingston’s ‘unfair parking charges’ petition reaches second highest ever number of signatures of any petition: A petition started by a local tutor against the ‘unfair parking charges’ that came into effect across Kingston in April 2025, has attracted over 1,200 signatures, when it closed on 21 June 2025. This is the second highest number of signatures for any petition submitted to Kingston since 2010, the earliest date shown on Kingston Council’s website. And having exceeded the council set threshold of 1,000 signatures, the motion will now be debated by the Full Council. The petition asks the council to “support small businesses and their customers by addressing the impact of rising parking costs. These increases should not be absorbed by the community, as many cannot afford this on top of other cost-of-living challenges.” The Full Council meeting will be on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, at 7:30pm at Guildhall - full meeting agenda will be made available here on Monday, 30 June. The petitioner has also organised a rally outside Guildhall for 8 July at 6.30pm.
COMMUNITY, CULTURE & EVENTS: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy
Bentalls: The Kingston Department Store since 1867 – free talk: As part of the outstanding Kingston Glamour exhibition currently on at Kingston Museum that showcases Kingston’s creative history covering design, fashion, architecture and racing, the museum is hosting a fascinating talk, Bentalls: The Kingston Department Store since 1867. Carolynne Cotton, Heritage Supervisor at Kingston History Centre, traces the iconic department store’s history that started with the love story of Frank Bentall and Laura Downham in 1867. She looks at the history of the store from its early beginnings to its dominance in Kingston, the enterprising and surprising ideas the family brought in, and its more recent sale to the Fenwick’s group. This free talk takes place at Kingston Museum on Thursday 10 July – booking details are available here.
Young people set to perform their new musical for Kingston at Rose Theatre: This weekend a new musical odyssey debuts in Kingston, bringing together the work of 75 young creators. Bridging Kingston has been a six month project seeing composer Chyenne Gibbs-Singh collaborating with children in Chessington Community College, Christ Church Primary School, Malden Parochial Primary School and youth group South Side Theatre Academy. The result is a brand new show and an anthem for Kingston. Part of Kingston 2025 celebrations, the show brings Kingston’s history to life in music and song through the imaginations of the next generation. More details and booking information are available here.
FUSE International Festival: A festival of live performance and creativity, FUSE International Festival is packed with inspiring and thought-provoking shows covering theatre, dance, comedy, cabaret, visual arts and more – all created by young and emerging artists from around the world. Featuring Kingston hip hop and Korean K-Pop, a dazzling version of Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, there is something for everyone. The festival kicks off this Saturday 28 June at Rose Theatre and runs through to Sunday 6 July – more information is available here.
Kingston Dragon Boat Race 2025 returns this July: This unmissable family day out will see crews of mixed abilities take to the river in a festival of colour and drum-beating in aid of charity. Taking place on Sunday, 20 July, at Canbury Gardens in North Kingston, there’ll be plenty of food and market stalls, and activities for children. And if you haven’t yet joined a crew, we would recommend Kingston Giving, an outstanding organisation that supports local charities and volunteer organisations to help tackle inequalities across Kingston.
Meet the author of Call the Puffins series of books for children at Old Malden library: Cath Howe, the author of Call the Puffins series of books for readers aged 5+ is hosting an interactive event where children can discover the island of Egg, meet Muffin the puffin, draw and discover more about real puffins. Cath is an author and teacher working in South West London and is known for her warm optimistic books that open up discussions around empathy, friendship and resilience. The event takes place at Old Malden library on Saturday 5 July – reserve your free place here.
Summer Open Day at the River Club, Old Malden: The River Club is holding its annual Summer Open Day event in Old Malden on Saturday 12 July. A friends and family event featuring children games, music, food and market stalls, it’s open to both members and non-members of the club.
Free garden open days at Hampton Court Palace: There are plenty of free garden days to enjoy the palace’s permanent gardens from now to the end of the year. Here are the dates for the rest of 2025:
01 July to 06 July
13 September to 14 September
18 October to 19 October
22 November to 23 November
26 December (The Wilderness garden only)
Reminder: Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is less than one week away: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025 returns on 1 July with stunning designer gardens, incredible plants and flowers, summer family fun, shopping and entertainment and plenty of inspiration and expert advice. Tickets are still available for both members and non-members – more information and previews are available here.
In Conversation at Kew Gardens returns with a star-studded lineup: Kew Gardens outdoor talk series, In Conversation at Kew Gardens, returns this September with ‘big conversations, beautiful surroundings, picnic, performance and culture.’ From 4 to 7 September, the four-day event features lively conversation, behind-the-scenes stories, gardening insights, Roman scandals, quickfire quizzes and TV icons. The lineup includes Richard Osman, Alexander Armstrong, Tom Holland, Mary Beard, Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, Matt Baker, John Craven, and more. Full details are available here.
Taste of the Caribbean Food and Drink Festival in Kingston: Transport yourself to the vibrant islands of the Caribbean with Taste of the Caribbean Food Festival arriving in Kingston on Saturday 16 August 2025. Savour the flavours of the islands as you groove to the infectious beats of reggae, Motown, R&B classics, and more on the live music stage. This family friendly festival at Fairfield Rec also features arts & crafts, bouncy castles, story telling, face painting, and more. Full details are available here.
LONDON CALLING: Stuff to do, experience and enjoy in the big smoke
London Climate Action Week: London Climate Action Week returns with over 700 in-person and virtual events and more than 45,000 expected attendees. It aims to harness the unique power of London for global and local climate action, and mobilise the capital’s ecosystem of climate and non-climate organisations to accelerate global climate action. On now until 29 June 2025 – there are still plenty of events to take part in.
WHAT ELSE? Stuff we couldn’t quite fit anywhere else but thought you’d still find interesting
Winning design revealed for a new national memorial honouring Queen Elizabeth II: Foster + Partners has won the competition to design a new national memorial honouring Queen Elizabeth II at London’s St James’s Park. The high-profile competition overseen by Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee (QEMC) saw Lord Norman Foster’s architecture practice beat four other designs. Foster’s winning design includes a statue of the late Queen on horseback and a bridge inspired by her tiara. The final design is expected to be unveiled in 2026, in what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s centenary year.
