Foxtons to remove ‘anti-homeless’ spikes after petition

| Rosalind Renshaw

Foxtons is to remove “anti-homeless” spikes from outside one of its central London branches after a petition calling for their removal attracted over 25,000 signatures in the first 24 hours.

Last night a Foxtons spokesperson said: “We understand that the studs outside our West End office have raised some concerns within the community and we will be removing them shortly.”

The firm acted rapidly and decisively after pictures of the studs – designed to stop homeless people sleeping outside shops and offices – appeared online, and human rights activist and paralegal Zarira Patel, 24, launched the petition.

She said: “Sadly this is yet another move in a long line of defensive architecture aimed at deterring homeless people from sleeping in highly visible places.

“At a time when more than 8m of us are reported to be one payday away from not being able to pay for our mortgages or rent, and homelessness is rising rapidly, we cannot simply push the homeless out of sight.”

The petition launched late on Wednesday night. By early yesterday evening, it had attracted over 25,000 signatures.

The affair echoes a similar one when 132,000 signed a petition against metal studs placed in the doorway of an apartment block in Southwark Bridge Road, London. These were eventually removed. A Tesco store in Regent Street was also forced to remove studs.

The new petition says: “If we as a society are so uncomfortable at the sight of homeless people outside our stores, business and in public places, let’s work towards getting them the help and housing they need instead of sweeping them away to the dark corners of our city.”

It concludes: “We’ve beat these inhumane measures before. Let’s beat them again and make sure homeless people are treated like human beings rather than an eyesore.”

It has not been the easiest of weeks for Foxtons, whose shares were hit by news that a law firm is seeking to bring a class action against it on behalf of landlords who have been charged mark-ups on repair bills.

The petition is here

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19 Comments

  1. Gump
    June 12, 2015 at 08:57

    Removing studs from shop and office doorways, what a fantastic way to beat homelessness…….oh wait……but they are still homeless!? Perhaps we could build more homes, perhaps there is an alternative to pay day loans, perhaps we should petition our government rather than people with shop/office fronts

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    1. wilko
      June 12, 2015 at 10:14

      I think you are missing the point gump.

      The principle of any shop owner putting spikes outside their office to stop a fellow human being resting there, for whatever reason is fundamentaly wrong, and I think Foxtons have realised this (along with the bad publicity it brings).

      What next, poison sandwiches/booze being left out, or maybe man traps?

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      1. smile please
        June 12, 2015 at 10:51

        I should not laugh but i was cracking up at the thought of that last paragraph wilko!

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  2. Gump
    June 12, 2015 at 09:05

    Actually, after a little thought why don’t the 25,000 people that signed the petition allow the homeless to sleep in their front gardens, would that not make you feel like your making a difference more that a e-petition would. You could sleep 5 – 20 in a house with OSP for one to two cars!

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    1. wilko
      June 12, 2015 at 10:23

      Again missing the point…….how do you know that a fair % who signed that petition don’t take in people less fortunate?. When was the last time you stopped and seriously considered eg fostering a teenager or making regular donations to shelter, or helping out the salvation army in the winter?

      I may have got you very wrong, and you may already do some / all of these things to assist the problem. If that is so, I apologise.

      If you do nothing and have never thought about homelessness seriously then I think it is both irresponsible and silly to post nonsense like this and you really need to stop and have a long hard think about your views.

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      1. Robert May
        June 12, 2015 at 10:54

        I agree with all you have said Wilko but would suggest that just thinking about it isn’t enough.   Serious consideration without action  doesn’t keep someone  warm, dry, safe or loved.

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      2. Gump
        June 12, 2015 at 10:59

        I will reply to both.

        Foxtons have not realised they are perhaps wrong, they have been forced to do it. If a corner of your local park was set aside for the homeless I’m sure it would not raise a petition at all

        You can’t base an argument on “how do you know’s” because it will be retorted with “Well how do you know”.

        I have never considered fostering, donating to Shelter or indeed volunteering for the Salvation Army , you don’t know what I donate too or volunteer for but just because it is not something you are passionate for you are not in a position to judge me or ask me to have a long think about my views.

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        1. Robert May
          June 12, 2015 at 11:16

          Gump I am not judging you, I am sharing my thoughts on  Wilko’s post.

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          1. Gump
            June 12, 2015 at 11:21

            Sorry Robert, that reply wasn’t to you. I said both because Wilko had replied to an earlier comment of mine as well 🙂

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        2. wilko
          June 12, 2015 at 12:22

          Gump, I thought I was being fair by suggesting that you may do some of the charitable things for the homeless, and I certainly wouldn’t want this thread to become a “who does most for charity” , I’m sure we all do a fair bit.

          I just think it is very insensitive and unfair to suggest that the 25,000 who signed the petition should take 5-20 with osp for 1/2 cars.

          We all know that there are plenty of homeless workers/charity/pressure group persons that follow this publication and by making sweeping comments like that it does little to change the perception agents are held in by these people.

          I don’t think it is a responsible post and I also think that it is unfair to say what you said about persons who have signed the petition, some of which may be homeless, some may have been homeless at one point, some may work in shelters or hostels on the front line of this problem, some may dedicate their lives to fostering vunerable teenagers who have/may end up on the streets,some may be members of charities that give up much of their spare time running food banks / soup kitchens……etc etc.

          To say that these people should should allow the homeless to sleep in their front gardens is plain wrong…..but that is just my opinion, and I appreciate you are entitled to yours.

           

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          1. Gump
            June 12, 2015 at 12:59

            This is indeed a publication and if everyone posting had the exact same view there would be no point in keeping it running.

            I would imagine there are a fair number of the Zoopla/OTM hierarchy reading this forum, on the basis that I may have offended people with my post on this subject, they all must be beside themselves! They get torn apart most days on here on a subject that they are very passionate about too.

            All the people you mentioned are doing an amazing job and I hold them all in the highest regard, but it doesn’t mean I too have to share their passion.

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            1. wilko
              June 12, 2015 at 15:08

              “All the people you mentioned are doing an amazing job and I hold them all in the highest regard, but it doesn’t mean I too have to share their passion.”

              Agreed, but I don’t think you should make fun or be flippant about what they do either.

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              1. Gump
                June 12, 2015 at 15:52

                So supporting a petition to have spikes removed from a doorway that in turn would allow a homeless person to sleep their which would put them in a position of Anti Social Behavior, or, if included in the lease, trespassing, is somehow going to help an already vulnerable person?

                I am making fun of the petition because of the pure stupidity of it.

                 

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    2. 1stTimeBuyer
      June 12, 2015 at 12:22

      Agreed.  Would they want it, no.

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  3. Naysayer
    June 12, 2015 at 09:53

    Why don’t Foxtons become an online agent then they wouldn’t have this problem.

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  4. Beano
    June 12, 2015 at 09:57

    Whatever next? I’m not fan of Foxtons but nearby employees loitering outside my office for a quick fag was enough to send me into a spin, fortunately for the most part they move on without too much ado, but I had visions of installing all sorts of deterents. Now if a big issue seller turns up with his dog, I guess Ill put the kettle on….

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  5. seenitall
    June 12, 2015 at 10:27

    suprised Shelter have not huffed and puffed.   Ban agents fees and provide free door steps for the homeless anything else they want for free?

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  6. The Outsider
    June 12, 2015 at 10:37

    Classy comments guys.

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  7. Beano
    June 12, 2015 at 14:52

    All too easy to look from the outside if the issue has never affected you in any way eh outsider. For the record I know of people who have been homeless and indeed have housed some. But its a different ball game having your livelihood potentially affected by unwanted trespass, potential clients being put off, etc, etc.

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