Manchester City Council will meet tomorrow to discuss the introduction of a controversial Public Space Protection Order. Fifty eight signatories to an open letter are calling on the council to oppose the proposal, which they claim will be severely detrimental to homeless people within the city centre. An open letter addressed to Manchester City Council […]
Banning begging, tents and obstructing highways under discussion at Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council launched a consultation yesterday to ‘promote a safe and welcoming environment across Manchester city centre’ – by introducing a Public Space Protection Order, or PSPO, to ban ‘Occupying a tent or other temporary structure…’, ‘Aggressive or intimidating begging’ and ‘Continuing to obstruct a building entrance/exit, stairwell or highway after being asked to […]
Burnham’s battle to end rough sleeping by 2020 – can he do it?
Andy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping by 2020 played a large part in the campaign which saw him become the Mayor of Greater Manchester ten months ago. Burnham inherited a growing homelessness and housing crisis which has seen the level of rough sleeping rise 13-fold in Manchester since 2010, with the problem escalating quicker […]
It beggars belief: Rochdale Council plans to punish the homeless and restrict civil liberties
Rochdale Council are proposing sweeping new laws that will force homeless people to pay fines for begging and also restrict freedom of expression by fining the distribution of unauthorised printed materials and leaflets. The proposals, which are still open to limited public consultation, have been condemned by human rights charity Liberty as a “staggering misuse […]