Stoke-on-Trent council U-turn on £1k homeless tent fine

The council said the fine element had been removed due to the "strength of response"

Controversial proposals which would see homeless people face a £1,000 fine if they are found sleeping in tents have been dropped by a council.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council had announced a consultation on new plans to ban rough sleepers.

The three-year ban, which also included aggressive begging and drinking, was planned for Hanley.

The council said the fine element had been removed due to the "strength of response" and added: "We got it wrong."

The Public Space Protection Order is being considered in response to concerns raised about aggressive begging and anti-social behaviour, the authority said.

Plans that had been put forward detailed that anyone found to be "assembling, erecting, occupying or using a tent" in an unauthorised area could be fined up to £1,000.

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Councillor Randy Conteh, cabinet member for housing, communities and safer city at the authority, said: "We have listened to the strength of response and will no longer be including the proposal to fine someone for erecting a tent within the Public Space Protection Order area in the city centre.

"This option should not have been included and we apologise for any distress this has caused.

"These are complex issues and there is no easy or straightforward answer but we know we got it wrong on this occasion."

Official council estimates say up to 17 people sleep rough on the streets of Stoke each night.

A consultation on the remaining elements continues until 20 December.

If approved, the order will cover the centre of Hanley, Hanley Park and two retail parks in Etruria.