Reopening of restaurants and bars in Westminster

The City of Westminster has published proposals of reopening of restaurants and bars in Westminster in July. This is exciting news. All restaurants and bars were temporarily closed for business due to the COVID19 outbreak. It is nice to be able to enjoy delicious food at restaurants again.

Broadly, the proposals will involve closure of some streets for restaurants and bars offering more table and chairs outside in Westminster. The proposals listed 47 street will be used to facilitate the safe reopening of restaurants and bars in Westminster. The main objective of these proposals is to facilitate the social distancing rules while eating out.

Westminster council welcomes your views and feedback on these proposals. Please send your comments to movementstrategy@westminster.gov.uk by midnight Sunday 21 June 2020.

Covent Garden Area

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
1	Henrietta street	Close between 11am–11pm
2	Maiden Lane	Close between 11am–11pm
3	King Street	To Close between 11am–11pm
4	Floral Street	Close between 11am–11pm
5	Southampton Street	Close between 11am–11pm
6	Burleigh Street	to Close between 11am–11pm
7	St Martin’s Lane	Road close
8	St Martin’s Court	extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
9	Edith Cavell Memorial	Extension of outdoor seating area – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants

Soho Area

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
10	Greek Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
11	Old Compton Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
12	Frith Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
13	Dean Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
14	Bateman Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
15	Berwick Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
16	Moor Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
17	D’Arblay Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
18	Upper James Street, Upper John Street and Golden Square	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
19	Broadwick Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm
20	Marshall Street	Road closure : Monday to Thursday between 5–11 pm Fridays 5–11 pm Saturdays midday–11pm Sunday midday–10.30pm

Leicester Square / Chinatown

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
21	Lisle Street	Extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
22	Gerrard Street	extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
23	Newport Place	outdoor seating area extension (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
24	Wardour Street	Temporary widening of footway – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants between Chinatown gateway and Coventry Street.
25	Cecil Court	Extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
26	Irving Street	closure of road – with restaurant & bar seating in street outside the National Portrait Gallery
27	Leicester Square (‘gateway streets’ – Leicester Street, Leicester Place, Leicester Court, Leicester Street, Bear Street and Cranbourn Alley)	Extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised streets.

St James’s

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
28	Panton Street	closure of road – between Oxenden Street to Haymarket for more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street
29	Jermyn Street	widening of footway – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants
30	Haymarket	widening of footway – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.

Oxford Circus District

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
31	Market Place and Great Castle Street	Road closure between 11 am and 7 pm.
29	James Street	Road closure between Oxford Street and Barrett Street or Wigmore Street – with restaurant & bar seating in street. Proposed closure 11 am–11 pm or 5–11 pm.

Marylebone

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
33	New Quebec Street	Road closure
34	Chiltern Street	extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating across empty units or inactive frontages provided this is clearly supported by the local community, including owners/operators of premise with affected frontages.
35	Portman Mews South	widening of footway up to Portman Street Junction – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
36	Dorset Street	widening of footway outside 52–55 Dorset Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
37	Seymour Street	footway widening outside 8 Seymour Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
38	York Street	widening of footway outside 7 Baker Street (York Street frontage) – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
39	Baker Street	extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) outside 48–66 and 106 Baker Street – more restaurant & bar seating across empty units or inactive frontages provided this is clearly supported by the local community, including owners/ operators of premise with affected frontages.
40	Blandford Street	widening of footway outside 44 Blandford Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
41	George Street (extended)	widening of footway outside 19 Baker Street (George Street frontage), 17 George Street, 58–60 George Street and 88–90 George Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.

Paddington

Map ref	Street	Propose closure (Temporary)
42	Kendall Street	Widening of footway on the north side of Kendall Street around Village Green and round into Titchbourne Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
	Connaught Street	Widening of footway on the south side of Connaught Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
	Porchester Place	Footway widening – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants
43	Seymour Place	Widening of footway between Seymour Street and Upper Berkeley Street – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants.
44	George Street	Widening of footway – opportunities for spatial re-purposing of part of carriageway or pavement space to accommodate outside seating and tables associated with cafes or restaurants
45	Merchant Square	Extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
46	West End Quay	Outdoor seating area to be extended (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street.
47	Paddington Central	extension of outdoor seating area (extend private licences) – more restaurant & bar seating in the pedestrianised street. Area covering Kingdom Square, space below the Westway and eastern/northern rim of the amphitheatre.

Restaurants and bars can now start planning to reopen in July and provide feedback on proposed streets closure for outdoor seating. Some restaurants and bars may require to apply for a licence for increased use of outside space for tables and chairs for their customers. This includes serving alcohol outside. Contact Westminster Council if you require further information at 0207 641 4141.

Companies House online business

Companies House also helping businesses to comply with their legal filings requirements during this pandemic. You can submit the following documents online to Companies House.

• Confirmation statement
• Company accounts. If you file your accounts late, you will incur late filing penalty even just by one day.
• Changes to your details such as director resigned or appointed a new director.

All you need is your company’s authentication code issued by Companies House. The authentication code is the electronic equivalent of your company’s director(s) signatures. Keep safe your authentication code.

If you are unable to complete your company accounts due to the interruption from this COVID-19 outbreak, you can apply to Companies House to extend your company accounts filing deadline without incurring a late filing penalty.

Companies House also created an interim paperless filing service to accept documents which would normally require a live signature.

If you require help with your UK company’s filings, contact us. Our accountants can help you.