Kensington and Chelsea Council has announced a rescheduling of its annual meeting to Wednesday, 27 May 2026, due to the upcoming local elections in May 2026.
The Administration Committee convened on Thursday, 11 September 2025, and recommended that Full Council agree to the date change from Wednesday, 20 May. This adjustment aims to provide ample time for induction meetings and mandatory training for councillors following the elections scheduled for Thursday, 7 May 2026. The Local Government Act 1972 mandates that the Annual Council meeting must occur within 21 days after the councillors' retirement date, setting the latest possible date as Monday, 1 June 2026.
The need to schedule induction meetings and mandatory training for councillors wishing to serve on committees, such as the Planning Applications Committee, Planning Committee, or Licensing Sub-Committees, is the primary driver for the change, according to the Public reports pack.
According to the Public reports pack, the committee also proposed adding an extra evening for group meetings on Thursday, 21 May 2026, and requested councillors to reserve Monday, 1 June 2026, from 18:30 to 21:30 in case of unforeseen circumstances affecting the Annual Council meeting.
LeVerne Parker, Chief Solicitor & Monitoring Officer, stated in the report that the alternative to making these changes was not recommended, citing the need to allow as much time as practicable between the elections and the Annual Council meeting, as detailed in section 2.1 of the report.
