Westminster City Council’s Al Fresco Scheme will be returning when restaurants, pubs and bars are expected to re-open to outdoor diners on April 12.
The temporary measures were first introduced when lockdown restrictions eased in July last year and were a lifeline to the local economy, bringing much needed confidence and footfall back to Westminster.
Since then, more than 560 premises have been issued with pavement licences and have been able to benefit from outdoor dining and 60 streets were transformed with temporary road closures and pavement widening to allow for outdoor restaurant seating in the street.
The council will be looking into a simplified process to make it easier for businesses, who already applied for pavement licences last year, to re-apply, so they will be able to provide al fresco dining from day one of re-opening.
As the temporary al fresco measures return this summer, the council will consider the possibility of what a longer-term al fresco provision could look like. The council will be consulting with communities as and when designs are created and as the city recovers.
