Council won a court case about a homeless camp. The camp was next to the town hall, and the court ordered an eviction.
The “red tent camp” started last spring. It began as a protest and soon became a place for homeless people. The Greater Manchester Law Centre tried to stop the eviction. Their legal challenge failed on Tuesday. The council was happy about the ruling, but did not say when they would remove the tents.
A council spokeswoman spoke about the situation. She said the square was not safe for camping and claimed it was not sanitary either. She added that camping does not help their housing application.
The law centre represented one person seeking asylum. The council withdrew its claim against him. About forty unrepresented refugees were also involved and appeared in civil court, according to reports. One refugee said they did not choose this situation, saying everyone was suffering.
Kathy Cosgrove works for the Greater Manchester Law Centre. She accused the council of wrongdoing, saying they sent people to a charity, Mustard Tree, that had no duty to help.
Cosgrove claimed the council refused to help homeless people, alleging they wanted to make an example of them. Kuljit Bhogal KC represented the council and denied these claims about Mustard Tree. She said Mustard Tree was open to everyone and interpreters were available. It was a warm place to talk.
Bhogal said the council helped people from the camps by providing temporary housing or private rentals. She said they fulfilled their legal duties. Judge Nigel Bird said the refugees were trespassing.
The judge explained that they needed to remove their tents. He said St Peter’s Square is for everyone, a public space at the heart of the city. He believes the housing system will help them.