Norwich homeless camp grows as neighbours demand council action

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 17:03 · Archive

A homeless camp in Norwich's Train Wood has grown to a dozen tents, with neighbours demanding the council house the rough sleepers living there.

Neighbours of a homeless camp in Train Wood near Marriott's Way in Norwich are demanding the council take action as the site continues to grow. The camp now contains a dozen tents, bags of litter and fly-tipped rubbish visible from homes in St Martins Close and Tanners Court. Rough sleepers are understood to have been living there for a year and a half.

Despite neighbours raising concerns "constantly" with Norwich City Council, the site has developed into what local residents describe as a makeshift shanty town. One resident said: "When the leaves drop during winter we can see everything." Another described the situation as "horrific", saying they had lost count of how many times they had emailed and rung the council.

Norwich City Council's rough sleeper team and Pathways Norwich said they continue to work with anyone sleeping rough to help them access accommodation and support. A council spokesman stated: "While help is offered to everyone, individuals cannot be compelled to accept accommodation or engage with services, which can make some cases difficult to resolve despite suitable provision being available." Officers visited the site in April after neighbours raised safety and wellbeing concerns.

How it is being reported

• Growing homeless camp near River Wensum leads to calls for urgent council actionNeighbours are calling for Norwich City Council to house homeless people living in Train Wood just off Marriott's Way after finding more tents and rubbish.Eastern Daily Press · 13 Oct, 16:40
• Growing homeless camp near River Wensum leads to calls for urgent council actionNeighbours are calling for Norwich City Council to house homeless people living in Train Wood just off Marriott's Way after finding more tents and rubbish.Norwich Evening News · 13 Oct, 16:40

In this story: Norwich City Council · Norwich · Train Wood · Pathways Norwich · Marriott's Way

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