Council proposes £1,000 fines for homeless people sleeping in tents

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/24/council-proposes-1000-fines-for-homeless-sleeping-in-tents

A council has been called “cruel and callous” for proposing £1,000 fines to homeless people sleeping in tents in the city centre. Stoke-on-Trent council in Staffordshire is consulting on a public space protection order (PSPO) that will make it an offence for a person to “assemble, erect, occupy or use” a tent unless part of a council-sanctioned activity such as a music festival.

Under such a scheme anyone who fails to pay their £100 on-the-spot penalty notice can be prosecuted and could be fined up to £1,000 in court.

Reply 1

Luke7456

20

So what are they going to do homeless people don't have £1000 you can't get blood out of a stone. They have no assets to seize either I mean I've seen cant pay well take it away series. But what they going to do now take away their second hand tent dirty clothes? Slave labor? They have nothing.

Reply 2

ANM775

20

Original post by Ninja Squirrel

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/24/council-proposes-1000-fines-for-homeless-sleeping-in-tents

A council has been called “cruel and callous” for proposing £1,000 fines to homeless people sleeping in tents in the city centre. Stoke-on-Trent council in Staffordshire is consulting on a public space protection order (PSPO) that will make it an offence for a person to “assemble, erect, occupy or use” a tent unless part of a council-sanctioned activity such as a music festival.

Under such a scheme anyone who fails to pay their £100 on-the-spot penalty notice can be prosecuted and could be fined up to £1,000 in court.

ridiculous,

if they are homeless and they've had to resort to sleeping in a tent then they're not going to have a spare £100 lying around let alone £1000

all that's going to happen is that they'll end up being locked up [because they can't pay] for basically being homeless

if the council don't like homeless people sleeping in tents then they should do bloody more to help the homeless....

Reply 3

storm95

20

Lmao government is run by clowns

Reply 4

Dysf(x)al

20

Original post by Ninja Squirrel

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/24/council-proposes-1000-fines-for-homeless-sleeping-in-tents

A council has been called “cruel and callous” for proposing £1,000 fines to homeless people sleeping in tents in the city centre. Stoke-on-Trent council in Staffordshire is consulting on a public space protection order (PSPO) that will make it an offence for a person to “assemble, erect, occupy or use” a tent unless part of a council-sanctioned activity such as a music festival.

Under such a scheme anyone who fails to pay their £100 on-the-spot penalty notice can be prosecuted and could be fined up to £1,000 in court.

Once again, the people who make the laws are out of touch with reality. If you have to resort to living in a tent, you're not going to have £100, yet alone £1,000. How about helping the homeless rather than punishing them with fines that they won't be able to pay.

Reply 5

Ninja Squirrel

OP

20

Original post by Luke7456

So what are they going to do homeless people don't have £1000 you can't get blood out of a stone. They have no assets to seize either I mean I've seen cant pay well take it away series. But what they going to do now take away their second hand tent dirty clothes? Slave labor? They have nothing.

Original post by ANM775

ridiculous,

if they are homeless and they've had to resort to sleeping in a tent then they're not going to have a spare £100 lying around let alone £1000

all that's going to happen is that they'll end up being locked up [because they can't pay] for basically being homeless

if the council don't like homeless people sleeping in tents then they should do bloody more to help the homeless....

Exactly, it will be an endless cycle of being homeless and then going to prison, being homeless again and then going to prison again. What they're hoping for is by harassing the homeless in this manner they'll be driven out of the area and that's "problem solved" in the eyes of the council.

Disgusting.

Reply 6

Luke7456

20

I mean in truth prisons over here from I hear are not like America they are actually quite comfortable the homeless will get good beds and food. The problem is the taxpayer will have to foot the bill for this and it would be cheaper just to put them up Ina B and B or a hostel.
The other downside is that this will stop or limit their chances of getting a job in future. I mean a lot of employers would rigtlybor wrongly hesitate to employ a convict meaning they will be more likely to be sick in a circle of poverty.

Reply 7

roger888

5

Original post by Ninja Squirrel

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/24/council-proposes-1000-fines-for-homeless-sleeping-in-tents

A council has been called “cruel and callous” for proposing £1,000 fines to homeless people sleeping in tents in the city centre. Stoke-on-Trent council in Staffordshire is consulting on a public space protection order (PSPO) that will make it an offence for a person to “assemble, erect, occupy or use” a tent unless part of a council-sanctioned activity such as a music festival.

Under such a scheme anyone who fails to pay their £100 on-the-spot penalty notice can be prosecuted and could be fined up to £1,000 in court.

How can a homeless person pay an £1000 fine?

Reply 8

Luke7456

20

Wait the source is the guardian just noticed that my bad sorry everyone for not pointing this out sooner should have noticed wasn't paying attention.

Okay source is uselsss propaganda lies ignore this don't trust the guardian.

END OF THREAD

Reply 9

Ganjaweed Rebel

17

Some of them might not even have the money to pay off the fine.

Reply 10

TheMcSame

19

I can't even understand the logic behind something like this... It's not even the fact that they're fining people who are trying to protect themselves from the elements, it's just the idea that they're fining someone who has virtually no money to their name anyway. They can't pay for it, and I'm certain that they don't have a grands worth of assets that can be recovered either...

Reply 11

Anne Dagenhart

13

Mostly a deterrent. But just seeing how they would try to solve the mess they made for themselves would be rather entertaining. Big government eh?

Reply 12

Luke7456

20

Guys it's the guardian we all know how trustworthy and reliable that source is.

Heck sake you could get more reliable sources at the local psych ward why are we still discussing this?

What a stupid idea

That's awful. Beyond the important idea that people should be free to assemble in the way they wish in public spaces, it is completely counter-intuitive in the effort to reduce poverty.

Reply 16

Tamrin

11

Here's another source:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-42024072

Also, my council tried to do the same thing:

https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2015/05/15/hackneys-ban-rough-sleeping-criminalise-homeless-warns-charity/

I remember signing a petition against the ban, but haven't checked if they ended up winning.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 17

Retired_Messiah

21

According to the BBC it's also banning drinking outside of licensed premises, aggressive begging and "The use of a public toilet other than to use the facilities for the reasons for which they were intended" (tfw you get arrested for having a chat in the loo).

If they're looking to tackle "antisocial behaviour" as they claim, those 3 would've covered it just fine. The tent ban does nothing other than try and shift the homeless out of the area for no particular reason. Also lol @ charging homeless people a grand when they clearly can't even afford to rent.

Original post by Luke7456

Guys it's the guardian we all know how trustworthy and reliable that source is.

Heck sake you could get more reliable sources at the local psych ward why are we still discussing this?

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/backlash-over-plans-to-fine-homeless-people-1000-to-put-up-tents-a3694566.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/homeless-people-could-fined-1000-11535616

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-42024072

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/revealed-council-plan-fine-rough-787527

Please stop being a pleb

Reply 18

TimmonaPortella

21

Tbh councils can and should protect public spaces on behalf of the locals. I'm not sure why it would be thought okay to just set up camp on a high street.

Presumably there's more of an issue to this too, since they're also targeting 'persistent or aggressive begging'.

Reply 19

Maker

20

Original post by Luke7456

Guys it's the guardian we all know how trustworthy and reliable that source is.

Heck sake you could get more reliable sources at the local psych ward why are we still discussing this?

I find your feeble attempt at discrediting the news slightly amusing. Go on, do some more.

Council proposes £1,000 fines for homeless people sleeping in tents

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