The taste of freedom? Al fresco dining is set to return to 60 streets around the West End including Soho from April 12
- Westminster Council said it will resurrect last year’s hugely popular scheme
- It will begin on April 12, when PM hopes to reopen hospitality for outdoor service
- It means modest West End venues without beer gardens will still be able to open
London’s restaurant scene has been handed a major boost as plans to convert 60 streets into al fresco dining hubs were announced.
Westminster Council said it will resurrect last year’s hugely popular move to allow hundreds of venues to expand outdoor seating capacity by spilling onto the road.
The scheme will begin on April 12, when Boris Johnson hopes to reopen hospitality for outdoor service, and stretch into the summer months.
It means modest West End pubs without beer gardens will still be able to open at the earliest possible point by applying for these pavement licences.
That restaurants were allowed to make use of the street proved a lifeline to hundreds of businesses last year amid tight restrictions on indoor gatherings.
Of Westminster’s 3,700 restaurants and bars, 560 took advantage of the scheme – which overlapped with Eat Out To Help Out – and the council is encouraging more to take up the offer.
London’s restaurant scene has been handed a major boost as plans to convert 60 streets into al fresco dining hubs were announced. Pictured: Kingly Street, Soho
Customers sit in a tea room outside in Soho London last July in an al fresco dining boom
Westminster Council said it will resurrect last year’s hugely popular move to allow hundreds of venues to expand outdoor seating capacity by spilling onto the road. Pictured: Old Compton Street, Soho last year
Coun Rachael Robathan, leader of Westminster City Council, said: ‘We know how hard this has been, which is why we are relaunching our al fresco scheme as soon as the easing of restrictions allows to help struggling businesses as much as we can.’
Al fresco dining will spring up right across the borough, including vibrant social hubs such as Soho’s Dean Street, Old Compton Street and Greek Street.
City inspectors will be deployed to police social distancing, the council said.
It also said it would ‘consider the possibility of what a longer-term al fresco provision could look like’ amid calls for the changes to be made permanent.
Westminster Council recently unveiled a bumper blueprint to coax tourists back to the West End as lockdown is relaxed.
A £150million regeneration of Oxford Street featured an 80ft artificial mound on Marble Arch for tourists to enjoy sweeping views of the capital.
West End businesses are desperate to start welcoming back customers after months of lockdown, starving them of footfall.
Counc Robathan said: ‘Hospitality is a major employer in Westminster supporting around 80,000 jobs and a big part of the reason people visit the West End.
‘But with shutters down and doors barred, this sector has been amongst the hardest hit during lockdown.’
The Prime Minister on Monday laid out his ‘one-way road to freedom’ for all restrictions to be lifted on June 21 at the earliest.
April 12 will is earmarked to see shops, gyms and hairdressers open, as well as hospitality for outdoor service.
The next loosening is hoped to come on May 17, when six people can meet inside pubs and restaurants.
It means modest West End pubs without beer gardens will still be able to open at the earliest possible point by applying for these pavement licences
Of Westminster’s 3,700 restaurants and bars, 560 took advantage of the scheme – which overlapped with Eat Out To Help Out – and the council is encouraging more to take up the offer
Although each date is contingent on passing four tests that the country is beating back the virus, bosses started making plans for a summer of freedom.
Reading and Leeds Festival today became the first major music event to confirm it will go ahead – sparking hopes that other outdoor shows will go ahead this summer.
The surge of sudden interest from excited music fans caused the event’s website to crash within minutes of the organisers making their announcement on Twitter.
Those trying to buy passes or read up on the festival were met with a message saying: ‘Error establishing a database connection’ – but it later came back online.
It comes after Festival Republic confirmed that the double festival would take place at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds this year.
The event will take place on the August bank holiday weekend, which will be two months after the PM’s plans to lift all coronavirus restrictions.
It marks the first major summer event in Britain to be confirmed after the Prime Minister said on Monday that all Covid-19 rules are set to be dropped on June 21.
But major questions remain over whether those attending would need to have a Covid-19 test or show proof of vaccination before walking through the gate.
Music fans at Leeds Festival at Bramham Park after watching Post Malone in August 2018
The festival is set to take place at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds
Festival Republic has previously spoken of the importance of people getting tested – but also that enough people at the event would have to be vaccinated.
The prospect of vaccination passports has also already been floated, although it is unlikely that the majority of revellers attending Reading and Leeds – who are mostly young adults and teenagers – will have had both jabs by the end of August.
The line-up includes Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Lewis Capaldi, and organisers have been working with the Government to ensure it can happen as planned.
Other acts include Post Malone, Queens of the Stone Age and Disclosure. Shortly after the announcement, Gallagher tweeted: ‘READING n LEEDS c’mon you f***ers.’
Weekend tickets for Reading are still available through the official website for £232 each face value, but are also being resold by the likes of Viagogo for up to £542.
The UK festival circuit has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic with its 2020 season mostly wiped out, and the Government launching an inquiry into their future.
And it comes as football supporters and sports fans could be back in stadiums within weeks under Government plans to test how coronavirus spreads in crowds.
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