Alfresco dining, which flourished across the capital after the Covid pandemic, could be making a comeback with support from City Hall.
Two of the mayor of London’s key deputies, Howard Dawber and Justine Simons, have written to boroughs urging them to support bars and eateries with “exciting ideas like alfresco dining and late-night-openings” during the summer months.
Boroughs have been urged to act now and not to wait for the outcome of a pilot scheme that would grant Sadiq Khan the ability to override licensing decisions on matters such as opening hours and alcohol sales.
It comes after Soho was largely pedestrianised during the summers of 2020 and 2021, with diners spilling out onto pavements during the pandemic.
Alfresco dining became a lifeline for many businesses as the hospitality industry was hit particularly hard by lockdowns and government restrictions.
According to the latest data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), 3,011 businesses have shut in the capital and the commuter belt — far more than in any other region — since March 2020.
Across the UK, 13,793 night time economy businesses have been lost up to December 2023, more than 15 per cent of the total.
The sector was hit by a double whammy of lengthy lockdowns during the pandemic and crippling post-Brexit staff shortages once venues were allowed to reopen.
Since then, new challenges have included soaring energy bills and other costs, a cost of living crisis that has priced many young people out of late-night bars and clubs, a generational decline in drinking, heavy debts and spiralling rates and rent bills.
Campaigners from Save our Soho have been pushing Westminster City Council to bring the scheme back after it came to an end in September 2021.
Businesses fear the worst is yet to come, however, as as higher national insurance contributions and an increased minimum wage kick in. A proposed business rates relief system could also lead to West End businesses paying higher rates to subsidise lower rates for those in less-demand areas.
Allen Simpson, deputy chief executive of UK Hospitality, said the return of alfresco dining was a “good thing” and that he was glad Sadiq Khan “is pushing on it”.
He said: “It’s important that it comes alongside a strategic approach to licensing generally, which recognises how vital the sector is and how many extra costs and regulations have been piled on in recent years.”
A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: “Westminster has the most pubs and clubs of any local authority so we already have extensive expertise in supporting business to thrive while balancing the views of local people and the police.
“We grant the vast majority of licensing applications which are only refused where safety concerns are raised by the police or significant disruption is likely.
“We need to see the proposals in more detail before commenting further. Local authorities and licensing professionals should be represented on any working group.”
On the wider proposals to give the mayor more powers over licensing, it added: “Local authorities and licensing professionals should be represented on any working group.”
