Landowner poised to deal with ‘tent city' in Redditch - The Redditch Standard

Landowner poised to deal with ‘tent city' in Redditch

Redditch Editorial 5th Oct, 2017 Updated: 5th Oct, 2017   0

MEASURES are ‘in hand’ to tackle the ‘tent city’ of homeless people camped just off Redditch ring road.

The camp, which has been there since February, has been a source of consternation for local residents concerned such a place could exist in their town.

And on Monday evening at a full meeting of Redditch Borough Council local man and former Conservative councillor Colin Macmillan asked the leader of the authority, Coun Bill Hartnett to: “Explain why his (homeless) strategy is not working and why we have people, often in great need, camping on the ring road?”

Coun Hartnett (Lab, Church Hill) pointed out that the latest figures on homelessness highlighted an increase in rough sleepers of 134 per cent between 2010 and 2016, creating an issue costing the taxpayer £1billion a year.




“So I would call into question the effectiveness of the national strategy around homelessness – local councils are left tackling problems they never created in the first place,” he said. Despite this, he added:

“The council provides a dedicated homelessness and housing advice service in the town centre. The team focuses on preventing homelessness and finding alternative accommodation for people who become homeless.”


Coun Hartnett also paid tribute to the police, faith and community groups and other interested parties for their role in dealing with homelessness in the town.

He then added: “I can reassure everyone that the landowners of the area in question at the Redditch ring road have taken the steps required to recover possession of the land, so that particular matter should be resolved shortly.”

A cross party review into homelessness in the borough conducted by the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee will be considered at the next executive committee on October 31.

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