Notorious homeless encampment cleared as council establishes clean streets task force

Two encampments for homeless people have been cleared in Croydon town centre as the council cracks down on tents on the borough’s streets.

The council has also insisted homeless people are being treated with compassion after residents expressed concerns over the clearances.

The clearing was conducted by a new task force, which aims to tackle illegal littering and antisocial behaviour on Croydon’s streets. The task force will be accompanied by the council’s newly appointed town centre co-ordinator, Matt Duncan.

Prior to Mr Duncan’s appointment, the task force cleared two encampments in the town centre that had attracted particular concern from members of the public.

One of the encampments was positioned next to the cash point outside the Co-op in Lansdowne Road, just a stone’s throw from East Croydon railway station.

It’s understood residents had previously complained about feeling unsafe when entering the store and trying to access the cash point.

At the other encampment, a circle of furniture and detritus had been formed at the back of a car park behind West Croydon railway station. In the weeks before the clear-up, council officers placed a community protection notice on the railings behind the encampment.

When questioned by a member of the public on the Nextdoor app about how the council’s task force undertook the clear-out operation, Mayor Jason Perry pointed to the use of the notice to justify their actions. He said the notice gave the homeless person a warning that the area would be cleared imminently and that they should move their belongings if they wished to keep them.

In response to James Harrison’s question on Nextdoor, Perry commented: “Our approach is always to prioritise support and engagement before enforcement. I have also been assured by Damion Hawthorne in our ASB team who was able to provide support for one individual who was struggling with addiction and debt.”

In announcing the new task force on Tuesday, Croydon council made sure to emphasise that empathy was at the heart of this new initiative. They said: “The task force has already successfully tackled two unauthorised encampments.

“While they are doing this, they sensitively support all those involved to prevent problems from recurring. The task force also recently offered support to an individual who needed urgent hospital care during another incident.”

The task force involves the council, businesses, police, children’s and youth engagement services, the community, voluntary and health sectors, and homeless and rough sleepers’ outreach support teams.

The community and voluntary groups involved in the task force include Croydon Reach, Croydon Voluntary Action and P4YE. They are working alongside the council’s youth engagement team and its homeless and rough sleepers’ support service – Change Grow Live.

Andy Brittan, Chief Superintendent for the South BCU, said: “The Met is committed to ensuring that everyone can enjoy every part of this great and diverse borough. We are already seeing progress by working more closely with the council and key organisations to prevent antisocial behaviour. We have recently stepped up our policing presence in the town centre to crack down on individuals carrying and using knives.”

Anyone who sees antisocial behaviour in Croydon can report it anonymously to the police via 101. Concerns about someone who is sleeping on the streets can be sent to StreetLink who will connect them with local services.