£500,000 al fresco plan expands to 13 London boroughs including Brent

A £500,000 plan to expand al fresco dining across London has been launched, with 13 boroughs receiving funding to support outdoor dining, street events and extended opening hours. The scheme, announced by City Hall, builds on last year’s Summer Streets programme, which saw streets in Lambeth, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Westminster trial similar measures.

Brent is among the boroughs taking part this year. A Summer Streets event outside Cha Sha restaurant on Ealing Road in Wembley has included al fresco dining, live music and partnerships with local businesses throughout August. Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for Business, visited the site and said the programme had “really caught the imagination” of local authorities.

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Funding demand outstripped supply

Dawber told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that demand from councils exceeded the funding allocated by City Hall. “Pretty much every borough bid for it,” he said. “We could have done a few more, hopefully we’ll be able to put some more funding together for future years as well.”

The £500,000 budget is an increase on last year’s £300,000. Dawber said some councils that were not funded had still proceeded with their own schemes, securing sponsorship independently. He added that physical infrastructure, such as barriers, could be reused in future years without further cost.

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Footfall rose by up to 85% last year

Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture, said the programme aimed to make al fresco dining “the norm, not the exception” in London. She cited data from last year showing footfall increases of up to 85% in some areas. “This year is exponentially bigger than last year,” she said, as reported by MyLondon.

Simons added that 40 events were taking place in Brent alone under the Summer Streets banner. “Londoners love it. Businesses love it, communities love it,” she said. The programme is intended to support the hospitality sector, which has faced rising costs, including increases to National Insurance and the minimum wage, as well as lower average spend compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Criticism of funding levels

The scheme has faced criticism for its funding levels. Alex Challoner, a former Conservative mayoral candidate, described the £500,000 budget as “small beer” and “inadequate” in an article for ConservativeHome. He wrote that the amount was “barely more than the salary paid to three of the mayor’s deputies” and that it was spread too thinly across the capital.

Dawber acknowledged the challenges faced by the hospitality sector, including high rents and inflation. “We’re determined to make London the best place to start and grow your business,” he said. He added that City Hall had made representations to national government on issues such as tax rises, which he said were “pushing businesses to the brink”.

What happens next

City Hall has not committed to further funding for next year. Dawber said no decisions would be made until the current programme concludes. “We’ll be looking at the data,” Simons said, “and we’ll want to see more stuff happening next year.”