Relocation of our Customer Services

Overview

The Council is proposing to relocate and improve the services provided at our Customer Service Centre building at Kensington Town Hall, allowing the building to be let commercially to help balance our budget and protect resident facing services.

This consultation explains the Council’s proposal and provides opportunity for residents to share their views, propose alternatives, and provide feedback on how the potential new locations for the services can be delivered as effectively as possible.

Why we are proposing changes

Following the Government’s Fairer Funding Review, the Council faces a gap of over £100m in its finances over the next four years which legally, it must close. In the 2026-2027 budget consultation, over 90 per cent of residents supported reviewing our property portfolio, optimising use of our buildings and minimising costs, which would help protect front line services. This was reflected in the Council’s Asset Strategy that was approved by Leadership Team in October 2026 and set out a vision for a smaller, more affordable operational estate to help close the budget gap.

What we are proposing

General customer services at Kensington Central Library. We propose moving face-to-face general customer service support from Kensington Town Hall to co-locate within the nearby Kensington Central Library. The proposed layout would bring customer and library services together in a way that is easy to navigate, while protecting the space and facilities needed for library services.

Our aim is to offer welcoming, accessible council support alongside library facilities, with clearer access to the right help and options for private conversations and specialist video appointments. 

Housing Needs support at Pembroke Road. We propose to establish a dedicated Housing Needs service location, with a reception and appointment system to the Ground Floor, 37 Pembroke Road. Housing management teams are based there, and voluntary and community organisations are moving into the building. This will include services that provide housing advice, assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and temporary accommodation services.

Our aim is to provide more coordinated Housing Needs support, with a dedicated reception, private appointment rooms and clearer arrangements to reduce waiting times and explain the help available. 

Lower operational costs of Kensington Town Hall. The proposed service moves would free up the current Customer Service Centre space, which would then be released for commercial letting, creating an opportunity for ongoing rental income/ savings of approximately £780,000 to support the Council to manage its current budget gap. This allows us to make better use of accommodation across existing Council sites, without reducing the service offer, and contribute to the Council’s financial position.

Better Meeting Residents' Needs. The current Customer Service Centre provides both general customer services and Housing Needs support, and its co-location and design no longer meet residents' needs. There are on average 70 walk-ins on a daily basis, with four out of five resident visits to the Customer Service Centre being Housing Needs related, with the remainder being general council transactional inquiries, such as council tax or parking permit queries.

In addition, with the growth in demand and specialist nature of Housing Needs services within this general setting, residents are often not able to access the support they need in a timely manner, experiencing long waiting times, poor experience and incidents. This proposal seeks to address and improve these issues. 

What we want to know

We want your views on each of the proposed moves, as well as how the services could best work if the moves do proceed. 

If you would like the survey in another language or format, please email  SIPEnquiries@rbkc.gov.uk