According to the decision taken by the Westminster Council, restaurants and bars in Soho and West End, which have moved to the streets due to the restrictions placed on the interior space, will no longer have to spend thousands of pounds to serve outside.

The restaurants and bars in Soho and the West End, paying £ 7 per square meter per day and faced with a minimum cost of £ 1,085 per month, saw this pricing as”unconscionable” and “a kick in the teeth”. Faced with this situation, In a statement released on the council website, Westminster City Council leader Rachael Robathan, said: “We recognise that restaurants are facing desperate times – that’s why we introduced the summer al fresco dining scheme and have extended it to the winter. In view of additional central government funding, announced on Thursday, we are able to cover costs of the winter scheme so that restaurants and bars can serve customers without any extra cost being charged by the council.”