Dismantling of London tent village sparks fears over what happened to people who lived there
Photographer Marc Davenant was stunned to learn Westminster City Council had cleared the long-standing encampment on the Strand days before he met with council bosses
The empty space where a homelessness encampment used to stand near Adelphi Terrace on the Strand in Westminster. Image: Marc Davenant
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Back in December, Big Issue covered the long-standing homeless encampment at Adelphi Terrace in Westminster – now this photo from documentary photographer Marc Davenant (above) shows all that remains of it.
Davenant visited the tent village last November and took portraits of 11 people living there to hear their stories of why they ended up in the improvised community on the street.
He heard that 16 people were sheltering in 30 tents near the Grade-II listed Adelphi Theatre on the Strand after being kicked out of homes through no-fault evictions, being released from prison into homelessness or falling through the cracks in the care system.
An accident at work saw Rafal fall into homelessness. He has lived at the encampment on The Strand for two months. Image: Marc Davenant
Fearing for their safety, Davenant set up a meeting with Westminster City Council on 23 December to discuss plans for the site after hearing from residents they were expecting the encampment to be cleared on 1 January.
But he was stunned to learn that it had already been cleared the previous week.
“I tried to track down people from the encampment and found some at The Connection and one sleeping rough on the Embankment,” said Davenant. “Two of the most vulnerable members were nowhere to be seen and appear to have fallen through the gaps.”
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Westminster is England’s rough sleeping hotspot and the council told the Big Issue that they acted over safety fears.
Bridget and her dogs Bruce and Bambi have been on the streets for several months after a no-fault eviction. Image: Marc Davenant
A council spokesperson added that local authority outreach teams have worked with everyone living at the site and “encourage individuals who are still rough sleeping to take up the offer” of accommodation.
“The council obtained the necessary court order to clear the encampment at Adelphi Terrace, which is not a safe place to live and is disruptive to local people,” a council spokesperson said.
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“We will continue to offer people support they need whether this is with housing, addiction, mental health problems to help them move away from homelessness.”
Louise and Joao, who live in the encampment with dogs Simba, Bear and Lucky, lost their home due to a no-fault eviction and can’t find a new home where they can live with their dogs. Image: Marc Davenant
Ultimately, no one is safe on the streets but how homeless people are brought indoors and supported is a tricky problem to solve as rough sleeping numbers grow.
Davenant said: “This is exactly what has been happening in San Francisco since Trump was elected and we are seeing a creeping ‘Americanisation’ of the treatment of homeless people in the UK recently with a move towards criminalisation which solves nothing.”
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