Soho bars and restaurants asked to operate ‘no seat, no service’ policy to avoid crowding

'There is no festival in Soho': 'Super Saturday' saw large crowds form in the streets of Soho
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Ailis Brennan9 July 2020

Westminster Council has revealed a series of updated guidelines for central London restaurants and bars – including a “no seat, no service” policy – aimed at preventing crowding in areas such as Soho.

The new initiatives were announced in a statement entitled “Gearing up for a second weekend of safe hospitality”, in which the council revealed new measures to “address crowding concerns” in the West End.

The reviewed guidelines come after hundreds of drinkers and diners were seen gathering in the streets of Soho last weekend on "Super Saturday", after restaurants, pubs and bars were permitted to reopen their doors to eat-in customers on July 4 for the first time since the beginning of lockdown.

“While much of the busy weekend remained safe and successful, certain streets in Soho experienced isolated issues with crowding and concerns about maintaining social distancing which is vital to ensure everyone’s safety in line with national guidance,” says the statement.

The updated measures for the coming weekend include “demarcated enclosures” around seating areas at restaurants and bars, which the council says will “allow venues to take responsibility for their own ‘al fresco’ areas”.

The council is also asking venues to operate a “no seat, no service” policy to prevent visitors from standing outside in the streets. It is also asking that diners to “book and plan ahead when visiting key dining areas, only going to venues when they have booked a table and space has been accounted for, and not gathering in streets where crowds could pose a threat to public health.”

Super Saturday - in pictures

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Council officers are also set to visit West End venues in order to “enforce a clear message of ‘no licence, no trade’”.

“Let me be clear: there is no festival in Soho," added councillor Matthew Green, the cabinet member for business and planning. "Social distancing is still in place and now is not the time for street parties but for everyone to play their part in supporting the safe reopening of hospitality businesses that have been hard hit.

“Public safety is paramount and if these temporary plans don’t work, we won’t hesitate to go back to the drawing board, which we are sure no one wants to happen. So let’s all work together and keep the West End and Soho in particular safe and open.”

Plans to pedestrianise 17 streets in Soho had been approved ahead of July 4, in order to help the areas restaurants and bars cater for more socially distanced customers.

Senior police officer Commander Bas Javid said earlier this week that the “large majority” of drinkers and venues in London complied with coronavirus-prevention guidelines, but John Apter, the chairman of the Police Federation which represents rank and file officers, said that it was "crystal clear that drunk people can’t/won’t socially distance."

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