Star date: 11th October 2016

DUCIE BRIDGE PUB ROOF PROTESTER CALLS FOR RICHARD LEESE TALKS AFTER £19MILLION PUBLIC MONEY SPENT ON PAVEMENTS

"I'm on the roof in protest at the Co-op, NOMA and Manchester City Council...they would rather see the homeless dying in doorways" Chris

At 8:30am this morning bailiffs, high court enforcement teams and the police moved in to evict homeless people who had been staying at the Ducie Bridge pub on Miller Street in Manchester.

While the homeless people and their belongings were slung onto the street, a rooftop protest began against the Co-op, NOMA and Manchester City Council, with campaigner, Chris, calling for talks with Council Leader, Richard Leese. £19million of public money has been spent on `public realm' around NOMA.

Full details here... 

After around six weeks of occupation at the Ducie Bridge pub on Miller Street, Manchester, this morning bailiffs, high court enforcement teams and the police moved in to evict homeless people from the property.

About thirty homeless people took over the empty property in August, which was both a safe haven and a protest against plans by the Co-op and its partnership group NOMA to bulldoze the building in order to build offices as part of its £800million regeneration plans for the area which include apartments, offices and a hotel – but no affordable housing.

Homeless campaigners were infuriated by the amount of public money spent on just the posh `public realm' around the NOMA area, which the Salford Star can confirm, via a Freedom of Information Act request, totalled £19,411,615 – with £12,679,915 from Manchester City Council and £6,731,700 from Europe.

Today, as the eviction happened, a rooftop protest began by homeless campaigner, Chris, from Salford, who demanded that Manchester City Council Leader, Richard Leese, come down and talk to the homeless to explain the Council's actions...

"I'm on the roof in protest at the Co-op, NOMA and Manchester City Council" said Chris in a phone interview with Salford Star from the roof "We had thirty homeless people here. We had a safe drug free space to live and now they've been evicted with nowhere to stay. They would rather see the homeless dying in doorways."

Fellow homeless campaigner, Danny Jones, added: "Chris is on the roof, asking for Richard Leese to come and talk to people as to why this crisis is being allowed to continue in Manchester.

"Today is the first time anyone from Manchester City Council homeless prevention team has been here" he added "The only interaction they've had with us is to wait until eviction day and send down one man saying `We're offering you support if you want it'...

"We're trying to make sure that the homeless people who have been staying here are as safe as possible" he explained "But tonight they will be back on the streets, unless we open up another of Manchester's empty buildings. But it shouldn't be up to us to take these actions to keep people off the streets..."

As the Salford Star goes to press, negotiations are continuing between the police and Chris as his protest continues...

Update: 4pm - Chris' rooftop protest continues as homeless set up new camp across the road on the Co-op lawn outside New Century House

Update: 12th October - Chris has now come down off the roof.

Update: 12th October 10pm - Co-operative Group `Thugs' Evict Young Homeless People from Grass Verge in Manchester - click here

Full a full background of the homeless occupation of the Ducie Bridge pub see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here and follow the links