On Friday, August 22, both ends of St Martin’s Lane were blocked to traffic, kicking off the latest stage of Sadiq Khan’s Summer Streets program. Every day from 11am to 11pm until the end of October, the West End thoroughfare will be pedestrianised to boost al fresco drinking and dining at venues like Fatto a Mano and The Alchemist. The initiative follows similar programs launched in recent months in Brixton, Leyton and Shoreditch.
“The mayor’s vision is to create a step change so that London can become an al fresco city,” Justine Simons, deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, tells Broadsheet. “When you go to places like Paris or Barcelona, al fresco is much more part of the day-to-day life there, and that’s what we want for London.”
Earlier this year, Khan asked London’s councils to apply for the £300,000 Summer Streets Fund, designed to support dining and entertainment initiatives. Twenty six out of the city’s 32 boroughs submitted applications for a share of the fund. Simons says the four boroughs selected to pilot the program – Hackney, Lambeth, Waltham Forest and Westminster – were the “best fits”. In Shoreditch, Rivington and Redchurch streets are now car-free on Fridays and Saturdays, with local businesses able to apply for free licences for outdoor drinking and dining until midnight for the first three months of the program. In Leyton, Francis Road also has car-free hours for street trading, outdoor games and a weekend market; more outdoor dining has been enabled at Leyton Midland Road.
South of the river, Lambeth Council has been closing Atlantic Road in Brixton on select weekends, which will continue until October; on Saturday evenings the Brixton Summer Zone offers outdoor seating, live performances and market stalls.
Westminster Council plans on pedestrianising St Martin’s Lane and making its al fresco dining more long term. “Today’s project serves as a kind of step on that road map to a more permanent scheme,” says Simons.
In the coming months, Khan will also receive new licensing powers from the government, which will empower him to decide licensing applications “of strategic importance” for vital nightlife venues and al fresco dining. It’s all part of a broader project to boost the capital’s nightlife and hospitality scenes. When the Summer Streets program ends in October, City Hall will evaluate its overall impact on the economy and footfall, as well as any issues or concerns raised by local businesses and residents.
“Businesses really want these schemes,” says Simons. “In the pandemic, we saw a real push for al fresco and it was hugely successful. Businesses, visitors and Londoners – everyone wants it.”
St Martin’s Lane will be closed to traffic, with al fresco drinking and dining, from 11am–11pm every day until the end of October.