The Guardian reported that 13 London boroughs are receiving a share of almost GBP500,000 for summer streets projects, covering outdoor dining, events and later opening into the autumn. Soho is the omission that gives the story its force: it had one of London's most visible pandemic-era al fresco schemes, but the local argument over noise, public nuisance and the pressure of late-night trading has not gone away.
The mechanism is not simply a mayor instructing a borough to put tables outside. Dine Out magazine reported in March that the mayor was consulting on a London-wide Strategic Licensing Policy after the government said it would give City Hall a strategic role in licensing. A licensing-law note by TV Edwards described the planned shift as giving the Greater London Authority a formal position in a system that has long been run borough by borough.
That is why Soho matters beyond Soho. Westminster remains the licensing authority for its streets and premises, but the mayor's new role would let City Hall shape a London-wide policy, make formal representations, be consulted on borough licensing policies and call in decisions deemed strategically important. The legal detail is still emerging through the new regime, but the direction is clear: licensing is being pulled partly upward from borough discretion into citywide economic policy.
Khan's argument, as reported by the Guardian, is that outdoor dining and later activity support hospitality and make better use of public space in warmer months. UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls welcomed the summer streets fund, saying such schemes can draw people to high streets and bring communities together. For restaurants and bars, the prize is not symbolic. More outdoor tables and longer operating windows can change the economics of a season.
The local objection is not symbolic either. The Soho Society, a residents' group with a formal role in local planning and licensing consultation, has said it will object to categories of new or expanded licences in Westminster, according to TV Edwards' summary of the group's position. Its concerns centre on public nuisance, crime and disorder, and the cumulative impact of a dense concentration of licensed venues.