Recipients of the Mayor’s £300,000 Summer Streets Fund have been announced
Sadiq Khan announced the Summer Streets Fund, where £300,000 would be made available to help support the hospitality sector by enabling the creation of new outdoor eating and drinking areas, and helping businesses to extend their al fresco spaces and opening hours, back in May. At the time he said: “London is the greatest city in the world and as summer approaches and our city is set to welcome millions of tourists, I’m keen to put al fresco dining and later opening hours back on the menu.
“London’s world-class range of restaurants, cafes and bars is part of what makes our city special, but too often they have found themselves restricted through bureaucracy and rules constraining their growth. This new £300,000 Summer Streets Fund will help to kickstart al fresco dining and extend opening hours this summer, allowing the industry to thrive.”
Now we know that these new al fresco areas will be in Shoreditch, Westminster, Brixton and Leyton. In Shoreditch, bars and restaurants on Rivington Street and Redchuch Street will be able to offer outdoor eating and drinking until midnight, with both streets being car-free on Fridays and Saturdays. In Westminster, St Martin’s Lane will be going car-free from 11am – 11pm every day, with 34 al fresco licences available for businesses on the street to apply for.
In Brixton, an additional 400 sqm of outdoor space will be made available for businesses on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road, with the roads being car-free until 10pm on selected weekends. And in Leyton, Francis Road will be extending its car-free hours and more outdoor seating will be added to Leyton Midland Road.
Speaking about the scheme, Nighttime Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill 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. We see this as a strong foundation — and hope it will grow into a city-wide movement that helps reshape and revitalise London’s nightlife for years to come.”
People in the hospo industry criticised the size of the fund when the initiative was first announced, saying it was nowhere near enough to make a difference, so we’ll have to wait and see whether this gives the industry the boost it so desperately needs.
