Sir Sadiq Khan reveals the four London hotspots being pedestrianised this summer
19 June 2025, 11:37 | Updated: 19 June 2025, 11:52
The London Mayor has announced funding for al fresco dining on four busy streets in London this summer, as part of a wider move to boost London’s nightlife.
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£300,000 has been allocated for four of London’s liveliest streets, so they can ban traffic and set up al fresco drinking and dining areas in the road.
The four areas will each have different stipulations for their pedestrianised periods.
They include St Martin’s Lane in Westminster, Shoreditch in Hackney, Lambeth in Brixton, and Waltham Forest in Leyton.
The funds will be allocated via the areas’ individual councils, and will go towards providing events, car-free periods and street trading on the relevant roads.
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Westminster and Waltham Councils will both receive £50,000 of the funds, while Hackney and Lambeth Councils will receive £100,000 each.
St Martin’s Lane, in the heart of Covent Garden, will be car-free from 11am-11pm. The street comprises an extremely busy sector of central London’s “Theatreland”, and is host to 34 bars.
However, while St Martin’s Lane adjoins the busy streets of Soho, the ban will not extend into Soho. The area’s Compton Street was pedestrianised during Covid, and there have been calls to ban cars from the area following the trial period.
In Shoreditch, Rivington Street and Redchurch Street will ban cars entirely on Fridays and Saturdays. The rest of the week, visitors will be able to drink and dine on the street until midnight.
In Brixton, Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road will only be car-free until 10pm on selected weekends - but there’ll be more of a concerted effort to set up specific events, featuring music, outdoor dining and street trading.
Businesses on the Brixton roads will also receive 80 extra tables and 400 extra outdoor seats.
In Leyton, Francis Road will extend its already placed car-free hours between 10am-8pm. The area will use the extended ban to transform the area into a cultural meeting point, intended for outdoor games, a weekend street market and outdoor dining.
Leyton Middle Road will also be closed for specific events, which are to be confirmed.
The move comes amid a wider push by The London Mayor to rejuvenate London’s nightlife, and pedestrianise some of London’s busiest areas.
The announcement comes just days after Sir Khan announced he was pressing ahead with plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street; one of the world’s busiest streets, with an estimated 500,000 visitors each day.
Dubbed “the nation’s high street”, the Mayor said “urgent action” was needed to give the area a “new lease of life”.
A vehicle ban on Oxford Street would span the entire 0.7mile (1.1km) stretch between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road.
The Mayor has reported wide support for the plans, claiming “two thirds” of people support the proposal despite criticism from the local council.
