Council begins £3 million restoration works for Holland Park

Earlier in the summer, Black Lives Matter activists sprayed paint on a statue of Lord Holland in the park. The actions were caused by the fact that Lord Holland owned 401 slaves on his estate in Jamaica. Council said it would take account of the Mayor of London’s Commission into the city’s public realm.

Kensington and Chelsea Council has vowed to invest £3 million to restore Holland House, following a September Leadership Team meeting.

Discussing the move, which will see work done in two-phases over the next three years, Cllr Johnny Thalassites (C, Holland ward) said: “We’re proud to support Holland House, which is situated in Holland Park, the heart of Kensington. 

“We’re also grateful to the Friends of Holland Park, who have helped accelerate this project.”

The Grade 1 Listed building – named after Lord Holland, whose family once owned the park – had been added to Historic England’s ‘at-risk register’, but will now be sensitively restored in what has been called a “conservation-led” scheme.