Possession order for Park Lane's 'illegal tents'

"Illegal tents" could be removed from Park Lane in central London after Transport for London (TfL) was granted a possession order to remove them.

Located opposite the Hilton Hotel near Hyde Park Corner, the encampment currently includes about 12 tents. The court-issued possession order follows a separate order last October which saw about 40 people cleared from the site.

Westminster City councillors called for the tents to be "removed as a priority" and said a lasting solution was needed otherwise "we will be back at square one".

TfL said it had been working closely with the council and other partners over many months to try to resolve the issue at Park Lane "compassionately and safely".

"We had to take enforcement action to regain possession of the site on two occasions last year, however, a number of people have returned with tents and other belongings," the spokesperson continued.

"We have been granted a possession order by the court and are working through the next steps with our partners.

"No one should be faced with sleeping rough on London's streets.  Park Lane is a busy part of the road network that is not a safe place for people to sleep rough and our focus has always been on the safety and welfare of everyone involved."

Paul Fisher and Tim Barnes, two of the West End's councillors, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the tents were "unacceptable at the centre of our capital".

The leader of Westminster's Conservative group, Paul Swaddle, said he had visited the site this week and that the area was "continuing to deteriorate".

"I personally witnessed public urination and ASB [anti-social behaviour] at 11am," he said.

"It is shocking that TfL and Westminster City Council failed to secure this site in the first action they took. For everyone's sake I hope it won't be another six months before they resolve this."

A spokesperson for the transport authority said they were exploring other long-term options to reduce rough sleeping at that location and to "prioritise the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved".

The LDRS asked TfL what long-term options were being considered, however it has not responded yet.

A Westminster City Council spokesperson said London-wide rough sleeping teams "regularly" visited the people sleeping rough on Park Lane.

"Our support services are comprehensive and there is no reason a person should have to sleep rough – on this site or anywhere else in the city," the spokesperson said.

"The reasons people live on the street are complex, and many sleeping rough have a range of needs or disabilities.

"We have supported TfL, who maintain the site, with their recent possession orders – ensuring anybody displaced is able to access help and has an opportunity to get off of the street and into accommodation."

A spokesperson for St Mungo's, the homeless charity, said people should be supported in accessing emergency accommodation, housing in the privately rented sector and specialist accommodation.

They added: "More than that, we need a preventative response to stop people from ending up homeless in the first place."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he wants to end rough sleeping by 2030 and pledged to remove the requirement for individuals to be visibly sleeping rough before they could access support services in London.

He has also committed to opening a network of ending homelessness hubs across the city to provide 24/7 support to those most at risk.

St Mungo's welcomed this announcement.

"A crisis of this magnitude needs bold systemic change. St Mungo's stands ready to work with government and all partners to end homelessness for good," the spokesperson added.

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