Traders face £800 fines in 'counterproductive' crackdown on al-fresco dining in London hotspot

A popular London al-fresco dining hotspot that sprang up during Covid is under threat as traders face being slapped with £800 fines if they do not move their outdoor seating, it has been revealed.

Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell has become known for its bustling nightlife and outdoor dining, with street food served alongside an array of trendy cocktail bars, coffee shops and boutiques.

The market, which features around 32 stalls, developed its al-fresco dining culture during the Covid pandemic, when emergency measures allowed businesses across the country to serve customers outside and helped many stay afloat.

Business owners say the arrangement at Exmouth Market has continued under a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ in the six years since.

But traders now fear the future of the popular dining spot is at risk after Islington Council issued a directive requiring them to remove large portions of their outside tables and chairs or face £800 fines.

Exmouth Market pictured during the Covid lockdown before the al-fresco dining took off

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To comply with updated pavement licensing rules, restaurants and bars are being told to reduce their outdoor seating capacity by an estimated 40 per cent, according to traders.

They will also be required to create a two-metre gap between their tables and the pavement, up from the current 0.8 metres.

Gareth Kerr, who runs Cafe Kick, a bar on the street, told The Times: “To take away 40 per cent of your trade overnight or with only a two-week grace period puts many of these small businesses in real danger of insolvency.

“Instead of starting with enforcement the council should start with dialogue.

“This isn’t McDonald’s.”

Mr Kerr has called on council officers, police and other stakeholders to meet with traders and draw up a potential roadmap for the area.

Gareth Kerr, the owner of Cafe Kick, is seen within the closed sports bar on April 24, 2020 in London

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Sam Clark, one of the founders of the Moro and Morito restaurant, said the street was one of the best in the capital - and that restricting the area now felt “counterproductive”.

The Exmouth Market Traders Association, which includes many of the bars and restaurants on the road, agrees there could be changes and compromises.

But its members object to the suddenness of the threat and what they say is a lack of dialogue.

In August, traders adhered to the council’s tighter restrictions for the evenings, which they claim resulted in the market becoming like a ‘ghost town’.

The council applied for pedestrianisation under the GLA’s Summer Streets scheme this year — a City Hall-led scheme providing funding for temporary al fresco schemes — but was rejected.

The council told local newspaper the Islington Tribune, which first reported the crackdown: “We have not taken any formal enforcement action in relation to tables and chairs licensing at Exmouth Market.

“Those wishing to trade with tables and chairs outside are free to apply for a licence and several businesses have done so in recent weeks.

“We will continue to work with traders to support understanding and compliance, while taking a fair and consistent approach for businesses, residents and other users of the street.”

Islington Council has been approached by The Standard for comment.