Welcome to the Kingston upon Thames Society
We serve the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, which includes Chessington, Coombe, the Maldens, Surbiton and Tolworth.
New members are welcome.
Our mission
The Kingston upon Thames Society exists to promote high standards of planning, conservation and design in the Royal Borough.
We are
The Kingston upon Thames Society, founded in 1962 and affiliated to the Civic Trust. We are Kingston’s major voluntary and independent organisation concerned with planning and conservation.
We do
Society representation on applications, consultations, meetings of local conservation and planning bodies
A monthly public meeting, with a guest speaker, on a topic of local interest
Co-ordination of the borough’s Heritage Open Days programme
Custodian of the Coombe Conduit ancient monument
A Newsletter for members every month
Townscape Awards for new buildings of distinction
Visits to buildings of interest, and outings to historic towns
Partnership with other groups in community projects
Leaflets and Booklets on subjects of local interest
Reviewing new planning proposals
A significant part of the Society’s activity is to review and comment on planning consultations and applications. Each week Kingston Council publishes a list of new Planning Applications, and we comment on those we think are most important, enabling us to tackle planning problems at their source.
Our Major Schemes page covers the most significant planning applications, such as Tesco Tolworth and The Old Post Office site.
Our Minor Schemes page covers other applications that are on our radar or of concern to us.
Our Other Consutations page covers non application consultations, such as the formulation of the London Plan and Local Plans.
Celebrating some of the good things in the Borough
We organise Kingston’s Heritage Open Days where free entry is offered to interesting buildings that are normally closed to the public. England Heritage Open Days 2019 was 13-22 September and Open House London 2019 took place on 21-22 September.
We recognise good local architecture and design through our Townscape Awards. These were last awarded in October 2017.
We act as guardian of one of Kingston’s most important ancient monuments, Coombe Conduit, built around 1540 as part of a system to collect fresh water from springs on Kingston Hill and channel it to Hampton Court Palace.
Monthly public meetings
The Society wants to increase and improve the debate on what the Royal Borough of Kingston is and what it could be. One way we do this is through our regular public meetings.
We are currently accepting guest speaker bookings for 2020 and have some interesting guests already scheduled – please contact us for further details.
Full details of our public meetings, and guest speakers and talks are on the Coming Events page
Visits and Socials
The Society organises occasional visits to explore the good and the bad of architecture and design. In 2019 our popular Summer Guided walk started opposite the Whitechapel Art Gallery, Aldgate East to explore the EAST END.
Our Society Summer Picnic, returned again in 2019 which was enjoyed by all who could make it.
Details for upcoming visits and social events will be posted on the Coming Events page.
Major Schemes
We are trying to get the best designs and outcomes from the real plethora of new developments that are facing residents. Lately most of them are predicated on the alleged increase in the population of Greater London in the next 15 years (for Kingston this will mean around 30% more residents than now) and the suggested building of Crossrail 2, again in the next 15/20 years’ time which will affect virtually all the stations and forever change the face of this Borough.
‘NINEYARDS’ a co-living, co-working proposal for Fife Road
A recent public exhibition of proposals for 15-19 Fife Road (Sports Direct/PC World) proposes an innovative 'Co-living/co-working' development for 200 residents.
Building Better Building Beautiful Commission report published
In a new report 'Living with Beauty - Promoting health, well-being and sustainable growth' the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission (BBBBC) (link here) declares "Beauty is not an arbitrary addition to the builder’s aims but fundamental [...]
Proposals by Sports Direct to develop the Clas Ohlson site with new (2 storey) retail and 33 flats.
Sports Direct is preparing a planning application for the redevelopment of a vacant retail space in Kingston Town Centre, which will become the new home to one or more of the Sports Direct [...]
Become a member of the Kingston Upon Thames Society
Why you should join
If you share our interest in protecting, celebrating and enhancing our Royal Borough then you can join the Society to get more involved and to have more of a say on what the Society does.
We are open to new members
How to join
You can join online for as little as £10 per year, using the link below.
Join us now
Together we can help make Kingston better for all