As the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today announced the initial beneficiaries of his new Summer Streets Fund. This initiative aims to allow Londoners and visitors alike to truly make the most of the capital’s summer months.
The boroughs of Lambeth, Hackney, Waltham Forest, and Westminster will see their streets transformed into bustling alfresco areas, thanks to a significant investment from the Mayor designed to invigorate the city’s hospitality sector.
Khan’s £300,000 Summer Streets Fund will facilitate these transformations across London throughout the summer. This move underscores the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to promoting outdoor dining and longer opening hours, coming just ahead of new licensing powers granted by the government to further boost London’s renowned nightlife.
The First Wave of Transformation
Following the widely popular alfresco programmes introduced during the pandemic, pubs, bars, and restaurants on St Martin’s Lane in the heart of the West End will once again offer open-air dining and drinking. The street will be entirely car-free between 11 am and 11 pm, with alfresco licences available for up to 34 businesses. Plans are already in motion to make this arrangement a permanent fixture in the coming months.
For the very first time, independent bars and restaurants on Rivington Street and Redchurch Street in Shoreditch will be able to provide outdoor dining and drinking until midnight. Both streets will be closed to traffic on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer, and businesses can apply for complimentary licences for the first three months.
In Brixton, a substantial 400 square metres of outdoor dining space will create approximately 80 additional 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 10 pm, with daytime activities including vibrant food markets, engaging art workshops, and live music.
Francis Road in Leyton will extend its car-free hours, establishing itself as a hub for street trading and a cultural meeting point. It will feature seating, outdoor games, late-night events, and a bustling weekend market. Further outdoor dining opportunities will also be available on Leyton Midland Road as part of a dedicated summer event.
“The schemes announced today are just the beginning, and we’re looking to build on their success across London in the years ahead,” stated Mayor Khan.
He added, “London’s food, drink, and nightlife scenes are world-class, and I’m determined to do all I can to help them thrive. With new licensing powers granted by the government being developed, I’m looking forward to doing even more, working with boroughs, businesses, and the police to drive forward more initiatives like these. We saw what a success it was during the pandemic, and I want to expand alfresco dining further in the years to come, all part of building a better London for everyone.”
