Council responds to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to end homelessness

Andy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping as one of his first main policies as Prime Minister has struck a political chord with Blackpool.

Blackpool Council says it will “look forward to hearing more” about the vow from Mr Burnham after he prioritised it yesterday, while Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says homelessness remains one of his key concerns.

However, some questions were raised about how it can be done given that Blackpool has a significant issue with homelessness, with figures in the town higher than the national average.

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street yesterday, Mr Burnham said: “On my first day as prime minister, I’m announcing this government’s commitment to finally end long-term rough sleeping across the UK at the earliest opportunity.

“We’ll get to work immediately, bringing together the national and local government with the investment needed to get it done.”

Although critics say Mr Burnham’s vow to end rough sleeping during his tenure as Mayor of Manchester was not a success in the city, with the problem still not resolved, the PM argues he will now have the resources and power base to achieve his aims.

Blackpool’s homelessness and rough sleeping strategy focuses on prevention, early intervention, and multi-agency support. Driven by levels of homelessness more than double the national average, the council utilizes millions in government grants to fund targeted addiction treatments, emergency housing, and eviction-prevention.

Although official counts in Blackpool record between 11 and 20 individuals sleeping on the streets on any given night, local charities and independent head counts indicate the true number of street-level homeless is often higher – sometimes up to 40.

There are a number of organisations in Blackpool actively working to help rough sleepers and people who find themselves homeless in the town.

But in recent months, concerns have been raised by shopkeepers and café owners that there appears to have been an increase in homeless people in the town centre, some of whom have been described as being more persistent than previously.

Homelessness figures in Blackpool show that help applications reach nearly 18 per 100,000 people compared to 7 per 100,000 across England as a whole. The end of a private tenancy drives 58% of Blackpool’s cases, which is substantially higher than the 39% English average.

Cllr Jo Farrell, cabinet member for communities and wellbeing, said: “Preventing and ending rough sleeping is one of the aims of our Homeless Partnership, which brings together council teams and third sector partners to help people to overcome the various factors that can lead to any kind of homelessness.

“Protecting and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities, whatever their housing status, is essential and a key priority of ours. We look forward to learning more about the details of this (Mr Burnham’s) pledge.”

This was echoed by Labour’s Brunswick ward member, Cllr Laura Marshall, who said that while Blackpool was making a concerted, multi-agency effort to tackle homelessness, the issues across the country impacted on popular seaside resorts like Blackpool.

Welcoming Mr Burnham’s pledge, she said: “Britain has one of the biggest economies in the world so it is 100 per cent right that a Labour Government makes homelessness a major priority. We should not have any homelessness or rough sleeping in a country like this.

“It’s right that we should have a nationwide strategy so that this problem is not so concentrated in areas like Blackpool and Manchester, where there is more support for the homeless – all areas should be able to have the facilities to deal with it.”

Cllr Gerard Walsh, of Reform UK, welcomed Mr Burnham’s pledge – but feared a recent Labour policy was already exacerbating the homeless issue. The Squires Gate councillor said: “Any action that tackles homelessness and rough sleeping is welcome news, but how we do it is another issue.

“My concern is that, by officially repealing the 1824 Vagrancy Act, bringing an end to criminalised rough sleeping and begging this year, it has emboldened beggars and people on the streets,” he added, having recently highlighted concerns about an apparent increase of homeless people in Blackpool town centre. “No one wants to see people who are struggling criminalised, but I think a slightly different approach was needed.”

Earlier this year Blackpool South MP Chris Webb secured over £3 million in government funding to combat homelessness and rough sleeping. Of this, £435,000 was specifically for rough sleeping services.

Mr Webb said, after going out with the Homeless Outreach Team to accompany them to meet rough sleepers: “We have a fantastic Outreach Team. There are enough beds to offer support but unfortunately some still choose to still sleep on the streets.

“So we’ve got to support them and that’s why I got the three million pounds, to tackle the complex issues why people are on the streets – the drug and alcohol addictions and the mental health issues.”