Soho Summer campaign calls for changes to Westminster Council proposals

The proposals, which were unveiled earlier this week​​, will be intended to cover high-density hospitality areas across the City of Westminster including Soho, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden and Marylebone.

They feature plans to pedestrianise various roads through timed street closures, which would create the space needed for restaurants and cafés to put tables and chairs outside.

However, the Soho Summer Street Festival campaign, which is being led by commercial landlord firms Soho Estates and Shaftesbury​​, has called for the timings to be extended in order to give businesses 'every opportunity to operate'.

The current proposals suggest temporarily closing 13 streets across the Soho district between 5 - 11pm Monday to Friday; midday - 11pm on Saturday; and midday - 10.30pm on Sunday. 

In response, Soho Summer Street Festival says trading hours need to be changed to 12.30-11pm everyday.

It says that without these changes, many Soho sites will remain shut in the area and will be unable to open due to social distancing measures.  

Under Westminster Council's proposals, 45 streets in total have been put forward to benefit from a combination of temporary timed closures, widening of footways, and an extension of outdoor seating and private licenses.

They include the likes of Greek Street in Soho; Lisle Street in Chinatown; and Chiltern Street in Marylebone.

Operators wishing to have table and chairs outside will still require a license, with the council saying it will introduce a fast-track pavement dining application process.