Removal of homeless from arches heartless - charity

Bradford Council said the work would lead to a "much improved public realm" around the station

A homeless outreach service has expressed its concern after archways were fenced off at Bradford's Forster Square railway station.

Many of them were being used by rough sleepers until they were blocked off sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning.

Homeless Not Hopeless said it had asked Bradford Council what had happened to those who were sleeping there. The authority has not responded to a request for comment.

The council wants to install gates on the 10 railway arches, which are owned by Network Rail, to provide space for art installations as part of City of Culture 2025.

Many of the archways were being used by rough sleepers seeking shelter from the elements

Steve Richardson from Homeless Not Hopeless said: "We're trying to speak to the council to find out what actually happened to those people who were still living there.

"Were they relocated or re-housed? We suspect that they were dispersed into Bradford city centre.

"There doesn't seem to have been any consultation with those people. It feels a bit heartless to us."

He said Homeless Not Hopeless would continue to hold its Wednesday outreach service next to the arches as "people know that's where we will be".

Bradford Council said it offered daily assistance for those living in the archways

Bradford Council has previously said its Homeless Outreach Partnership continued to visit the Forster Square arches on a daily basis ahead of access to the area being withdrawn.

This included drug, alcohol, and complex needs workers alongside specialists in housing options who are able to offer "wraparound care to those who need it and to support them off the streets."

It had also offered accommodation to 225 people over the past year.

Pedestrians have witnessed drug-taking in the archways which also contained human waste

The arches are a surviving part of the original Victorian station, which was demolished and reduced in size in the 1990s.

Under the plans, the arches along the walkway between Cheapside and Forster Square Station would have 3m-high (9.8ft) decorated panels, with new lighting inside.

The council said the changes would lead to a "much improved public realm" around the station.

Network Rail owns the arches and will fund the work, which was scheduled to start in May and be completed by late August but has been delayed.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.