The Mayor is bringing back his Summer Streets fund for 2026
Last year Sadiq Khan launched his Summer Streets fund, where he made £300,000 available to help businesses in Shoreditch, Westminster, Brixton and Leyton increase their al fresco spaces and opening hours, in an effort to support the hospitality sector. Under the scheme, car-free hours for certain streets were extended, opening hours for businesses were extended, and additional outdoor space was made available for outdoor drinking and dining.
Khan is going bigger this year, increasing the size of the fund to £400,000, to help local councils support longer opening hours and more al fresco dining, which is set to be even more popular with the World Cup taking place this summer. Grants of up to £100,000 will be made available to councils for large-scale pedestrianisation projects and smaller grants of £10,000 for pubs, cafes, small music venues and other businesses to expand their outdoor spaces.
Speaking about the return of the Summer Streets fund, Khan said: “It was fantastic to see Londoners and visitors enjoying al fresco dining across our capital last year, so I’m delighted to announce the return of my Summer Streets fund. I want our wonderful cafes, bars and restaurants to be able to expand outdoor dining and opening hours throughout the summer, providing a great experience for all and a real boost to business, especially with the World Cup set to bring people together. I want this summer to be the biggest ever summer for al fresco dining in our capital’s history and I’ll continue to support our vital hospitality and nightlife industries, as we build a better London for everyone.”
People in the hospo industry criticised the size of the fund last year when the initiative was first announced, saying it was nowhere near enough to make a difference. Given that the pressures on the industry have only become more acute, it’ll be interesting to see how much of an impact this has.
