Doncaster Tent City: camp being dismantled after court grants eviction order

Doncaster County Court this morning granted an eviction order, which the council asked to take effect from 10.30am tomorrow (Saturday, December 17).

Jo Miller, the council's chief executive, said everyone at the site had now been offered accommodation and the camp's organisers were taking down the tents because 'their job is done'.

"By working together across all of the agencies in Doncaster we can say that everyone on the site has been offered accommodation, if they want to take it up and in time for Christmas," she said.

"The organisers of Tent City are dismantling the site, not just because of the court order but because their job is done, so the camp should go today by agreement and we will work together on that.

"The camp has served its purpose to raise the issues surrounding homelessness and we have worked with them from day one. No one needs to sleep rough or be homeless and our work as agencies to support those who need help it will continue."

A council spokesperson said the order was granted for people to be evicted from the public green in the town centre 'forthwith', but the council had requested a clause giving people until Saturday morning to leave.

The council said it had sent officers to help with the move and wanted to allow extra time as it recognised the tents would take a while to remove.

Should any tents remain come the deadline tomorrow morning, a council spokesperson said it would have the power to evict the remaining residents but would not necessarily enforce its legal authority immediately.

The camp appeared on a patch of grass in Waterdale, close to the old Civic Theatre site, on November 19.

Phillip Morris, one of the 'Tent City' organisers, yesterday told how the group had achieved its goal to highlight the plight of the town's homeless people and secure homes for those in need.

He thanked the council for 'upping its game' and said organisers were looking at a new strategy to tackle homeless and support those who had been housed.

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