A homeless camp at the heart of one of Britain’s biggest cities is set to be swept away after a court ordered it cleared.
The encampment in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square, directly outside the town hall, must now be removed after Manchester City Council obtained a ‘possession order’.
The ‘red tent camp’ first appeared last spring, initially as a site of protest against but has rapidly become a go-to spot for the city’s homeless population, BBC News reported.
Greater Manchester Law Centre mounted a legal challenge in an attempt to stop the council taking possession of the land, which failed on Tuesday.
Manchester City Council welcomed the ruling but have yet to confirm when the clearance will take place.
‘For many months now there has been a fluctuating number of tents in this public space, occupied by people who are refugees who have been granted the right to remain in the country,’ a Manchester City Council spokesperson said.
‘Throughout this period we have been clear with those camping in the square that this is not a safe, suitable or sanitary place from which to access this support.
‘Nor does camping in a public space accelerate their homelessness application or gain them any other advantage.
‘We have had a number of issues in keeping the area safe, secure and clean – as we saw in the run-up to Remembrance Weekend and New Year’s Eve events – and delivering services from the nearby town hall extension.
‘During the time the tents have been in place we have tried various different approaches to address this issue, some of which have succeeded in significantly reducing the number of tents in the short term only for them to increase again.
‘However, with many still refusing to leave despite being repeatedly asked to do so – and other options having been exhausted – securing this order was a necessary step.’
The council do not have a date for the tents to be removed as yet but insisted that there is support is available for the city’s unhoused population.
A council spokesperson said: ‘We want to stress in the strongest possible terms that help is at hand for any Manchester resident facing homelessness.
‘The Council’s homelessness service works hard alongside a fantastic network of voluntary and community sector organisations in the city to deliver that support.
‘In the case of refugees, we have provided advice and support and helped many to help themselves out of homelessness over the last year.’
The evicted individuals will need to find new accommodation but local councils are only required to offer temporary accommodation to anyone who is classed in being in ‘priority need’.