Rough Sleepers In Liverpool Ordered To Pack Up Their Tents
One man said “I can’t even go to the toilet without fear of having my tent taken”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
People sleeping rough on the streets of Liverpool woke this morning to find notices pinned to their tents ordering them to move on, or pay the costs. The letters, from the Highways Department at Liverpool City Council, said the tents on Lord Street and Church Street were “an obstruction and a nuisance”. The people living in the tents now have seven days to move, or risk losing their shelter as the Council will seek a disposal order from the magistrates’ court.
Ed Fryer was one of the people issued with the notice this morning, July 22. The 49-year-old, who told The ECHO he had been sleeping rough on and off for most of his life, currently resides in a tent in the city centre with his two dogs, Lillian and Big Bear. He said: “I’ve had about 20 tents taken. The Council keeps taking them. They give you seven days and after that they take it to court. You don’t appear in court, but after that they come back with another one of these (letters), and a few days later they take your tent. It leaves me without a tent with the two dogs out here. Everything is soaking wet already because of the rain. So it’s not great. But it’s the only little bit of shelter I’ve got. I’m not bothered about myself but it’s my dogs, they’re my babies. If it didn’t have them I’d have nothing.”
He added: “As soon as your back’s turned, I can’t even go to the toilet without fear of having my tent taken, and all my belongings. I keep saying there’s only one way from here and that’s up. But it’s not because they keep trying to push us down further. It’s like I’ve been thrown in the Mersey and someone’s got their foot down on my head. That’s how it feels.” He said he had been offered a place to stay by the YMCA – but that he was told he would have to get rid of one of his beloved dogs, which he refused to do.
Another man, who was sleeping rough on Lord Street, said: “They give us a date to move on. You pick up your tent and move down the street somewhere else, just keep moving on. I’ve always just moved on, so I don’t know what actually happens if I didn’t move my tent. (I’ll go) to one side of the city, then I’ll come back again. You can sleep on the ground, but you can’t have a tent, that’s what they say. You can sleep in the shelter, you can sleep in a doorway, you can sleep (on the street), but you can’t have this.”
The notices, sent under Section 149 (1) of the Highways Act 1980, read: “To the person who deposited the tent placed on the highway at [street name]. TAKE NOTICE that Liverpool City Council (‘the Council’) being the highway authority for the area of Liverpool considers that the tent placed on the highway at [street name] Liverpool constitutes an obstruction and a nuisance. The Council therefore requires the tent to be removed from the highway forthwith. If you fail to remove the tent within the next seven days, then the Council will without further notice make a complaint to the magistrates’ court for a removal and disposal order to remove the tent and recover all the associated costs of removal from you.”
Along with the notice, Ed said he had been provided with a postcard containing a link to the “help for rough sleepers” section of the Council website. The page invites anyone who is concerned about someone sleeping rough in Liverpool to call the 24-hour ‘Always Help Available’ helpline on 0300 123 2041, or make an online referral to the Whitechapel centre.
He said: “They say phone it and you’ll get help and support, but you just end up back in your tent. He added: “We didn’t ask for this. It’s a vicious circle. Some people (on the streets) try to rob you so you don’t know who you can trust. You don’t know who you can turn to. Everyone needs an escape somehow. I’ve got my dogs. I have a little drink sometimes, I’ll be honest. My money goes on dog food and dog treats. I feed them before I feed myself because they can’t do it themselves. I’ve been out here too long. On and off most of my life. They’ve got me down as a prolific rough sleeper. I’m a recovering addict so hostels are not good for me – before you know it you’re back to square one, and I’d end up losing my dogs.”
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “Our highways maintenance team checks weekly for tents that may be obstructing the public highway or blocking buildings’ emergency exits and will take appropriate action as needed. As well as ensuring that the highway is safe for everyone, the council and its partners also takes a ‘safeguarding first’ approach to the use of tents and other shelters, as using tents can present a number of issues for vulnerable people, for example if they are unwell and need emergency assistance. To support rough sleepers, the council funds a range of services including the Liverpool Assertive Outreach and Response Service. As always, anyone concerned about a rough sleeper can contact the Always Help Available helpline on 0300 123 2041 at any time.”
