Putting al fresco dining on the menu

Eleanor Jordan, Solicitor

It was only last month that Sadiq Khan, the Major of London, revealed the new £300,000 Summer Streets Fund to boost al fresco dining and extend opening hours for pubs, restaurants and venues across the capital.

Following this announcement, Councils were invited to apply for a share in the fund, and it has just been revealed that the first boroughs to benefit from this initiative this summer will be Lambeth, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Westminster.

Starting with Lambeth, it has been announced that there will be 400 square metres of outdoor dining space accommodating around 80 extra tables and 400 extra seats for businesses on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road. On selected weekends, these roads will become car-free zones until 10pm, so that daytime activities including food markets, art workshops and live music can take place.

In Hackney, Rivington Street and Redchurch Street in Shoreditch will also be car-free on Fridays and Saturdays and, for the first time, the independent bars and restaurants that line these streets will be able to offer outdoor dining until midnight throughout summer.

Leyton in Waltham Forest will see the car-free hours extended on Francis Road in a bid to make it a hub for street trading and a cultural meeting point with seating, outdoor games, late events and a weekend market. As part of a summer event, there will also be further dining in the Leyton Midland Road.

Finally, in Westminster, pubs, bars and restaurants on St Martin’s Lane will be able to provide open air dining and drinking, as they had done previously during the Covid pandemic. The street will be free from traffic between 11am and 11pm and al fresco licences will be available for up to 34 businesses.

This announcement has been well received by the industry. Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Associations said: “The launch of al fresco dining in key areas like Brixton, Shoreditch, Leyton and the West End marks the beginning of an important initiative that supports the recovery and long-term growth of London’s nightlife and hospitality sector. Creating vibrant, accessible outdoor spaces for food, drink and culture is a powerful way to bring communities together and boost local economies.”

It is understood that the schemes announced today are only the beginning and the Mayor is looking to build on their success across other hotspots in London in years to come.

The practical application processes to allow operators to make applications for the use of these roads have not yet been finalised by the respective local authorities. However, they intend to confirm details in the coming weeks so that operators can apply to take advantage of these extended outdoor areas over the summer months.

We’ll issue further updates once the applications are open, and look forward to helping London operators with their applications so that they can maximise their summer trading.