Tents on major road dangerous - homeless charity

The tents have been set up on Pin Hill, a major road into Canterbury city centre

A Canterbury homeless charity says that it is dangerous for people to sleep on the verge of a busy main road in the city centre.

Five tents have been set up on the grassy verge next to Pin Hill, a busy dual carriageway, since the beginning of July.

The homeless centre Catching Lives is nearby and although it does not own the land that the tents are pitched on, it has been supporting the occupants by providing food and showers.

Canterbury City Council said supporting rough sleepers into appropriate accommodation was one its highest priorities and it was working with Catching Lives to support those sleeping rough on Pin Hill.

G is living in one of the tents and said there was a "little community" there.

She said that as a woman, pitching up by the side of the road felt relatively safe compared to sleeping next to a river or in the woods.

"It's not the ideal situation but it's a bit of camaraderie," she said.

Rose had been living in one of the tents but has now found accommodation in Ashford.

She said there were more women than men living in the makeshift campsite.

"I wouldn't be safe there on my own," she said.

Rose became homeless after a relationship breakdown and has been on the streets for four years.

"It's a Catch-22 situation - you have to have somewhere to live to work," she explained.

'Lorries thundering past'

Tamsin Maitland, CEO of Catching Lives, said sleeping next to the main road was dangerous.

"There are cars, buses and lorries thundering past so it’s noisy, disruptive and we worry that people aren’t safe there,” she said.

Canterbury City Council said that last year it had helped 104 street homeless into accommodation and 71 so far in 2024.

"It is something we work very hard at all year round and while we consider there to be a significant number of success stories, we recognise there is always more to do and it remains a challenge for us every day," the authority said.