Kensington and Chelsea compared with all councils in England
Compared with the 130 councils in England.
- Residents
- 145,734 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £1,667 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges. See where it goes
Where Kensington and Chelsea sits
10
measures in the bottom quarter
2
measures below the middle
9
measures in the top half
Kensington and Chelsea compares worst with all councils in England on:
- families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more (123rd of 123; 1st is lowest)
- household waste reused, recycled or composted (126th of 128; 1st is highest)
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (127th of 130; 1st is lowest)
It compares best on:
- relief cases ending with a home secured (6th of 127; 1st is highest)
- new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (9th of 126; 1st is highest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (12th of 130; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 97.9% | 59.0% | Top half 9th of 126 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 15.1 | 4.8 | Bottom quarter 127th of 130 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 117.3 | 41.2 | Bottom quarter 127th of 130 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 18.2% | 15.2% | Top half 45th of 115 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 42.9% | 75.6% | Bottom quarter 98th of 104 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 68.2% | 66.5% | Top half 34th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 66.3% | 66.5% | Below the middle 43rd of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 66.2% | 72.2% | Bottom quarter 63rd of 82 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 60.4% | 56.2% | Top half 28th of 82 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 85.1% | 83.1% | Top half 33rd of 83 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 31.8% | 4.1% | Bottom quarter 81st of 83 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 93.9% | 73.6% | Top half 17th of 82 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 91.2% | 94.8% | Bottom quarter 125th of 130 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 52.2 | 18.1 | Bottom quarter 116th of 130 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 129.6 | 37.5 | Top half 12th of 130 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 22.2% | 37.7% | Bottom quarter 126th of 128 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 25.4 | 2.8 | Bottom quarter 119th of 126 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 82.0% | 13.6% | Bottom quarter 123rd of 123 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 64.3% | 51.7% | Top half 27th of 127 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 64.5% | 34.9% | Top half 6th of 127 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 91.6% | 92.5% | Below the middle 69th of 130 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Kensington and Chelsea | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £338 | £322 | 51st of 127 | |
| Adult social care | £502 | £472 | 36th of 127 | |
| Public health | £202 | £80 | 1st of 127 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £346 | £46 | 2nd of 127 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £298 | £104 | 2nd of 127 | |
| Highways and transport | −£263 | £33 | 126th of 127 | |
| Culture and leisure | £96 | £42 | 2nd of 127 | |
| Planning and development | £81 | £24 | 5th of 127 | |
| Central services | £126 | £57 | 7th of 127 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,808 | £1,222 | 3rd of 127 |
Where your council tax goes
Choose your band to see what your bill in Kensington and Chelsea pays for in 2026-27. Check your council tax band on GOV.UK.
Your bill: £1,667 a year, about £32.05 a week (Band D).
Who your bill goes to
| Goes to | A year | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea council | £1,156 | 69% |
| Mayor of London (GLA), including police and fire | £511 | 31% |
What the council's share pays for
The council's part of your bill, £1,156, split in the same proportions as the council's own spending in 2025-26, not counting schools.
| Service | A year | A week | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £292 | £5.61 | 25% |
| Housing and homelessness | £201 | £3.87 | 17% |
| Children's social care | £196 | £3.77 | 17% |
| Bins, streets, parks and environment | £173 | £3.33 | 15% |
| Public health | £117 | £2.26 | 10% |
| Running the council | £73 | £1.41 | 6% |
| Libraries, culture and leisure | £56 | £1.08 | 5% |
| Planning and development | £47 | £0.91 | 4% |
Roads and transport brought in more than it cost, mostly from parking, so it is not shown.
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Kensington and Chelsea’s children's services outstanding at its last full inspection, in November 2024.
- Outstanding
- 39 of the 130 councils in England, including Kensington and Chelsea
- Good
- 56 of the 130 councils in England
- Requires improvement
- 24 of the 130 councils in England
- Inadequate
- 11 of the 130 councils in England
Over time
Kensington and Chelsea against the median of all councils in England.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Kensington and Chelsea: 97.9%
- Median (all councils in England): 59.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Kensington and Chelsea: 15.1
- Median (all councils in England): 4.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Kensington and Chelsea: 22.2%
- Median (all councils in England): 37.7%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Kensington and Chelsea: 52.2
- Median (all councils in England): 18.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Kensington and Chelsea. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.