Lincoln Cathedral goes to war with rough sleepers: Officials plan to put up steel fencing to prevent homeless people leaving ‘unhygienic mess’ at famous medieval church
- Lincoln Cathedral said the 13th Century Galilee porch had been vandalised
- Previously accused of ‘unchristian behaviour’ for erecting a temporary barrier
- But insists permanent fence now needed to stop further damage to the building
A cathedral wants to install steel railings to stop homeless people sleeping overnight in a historic porch after it was repeatedly left in an ‘unhygienic mess’.
Lincoln Cathedral said the 13th Century Galilee porch had been vandalised by groups of rough sleepers taking drugs and lighting fires, resulting in damage to the iconic building.
The vergers have now lodged a planning application with Lincoln council to install a 4.5ft high fence across the porch. They acknowledged the railings could be climbed but argued it would be ‘enough to deter people’.
Plans to build barriers to keep out homeless people are often highly controversial, and the cathedral itself was accused of ‘unchristian’ behaviour when it put up a temporary fence by the Galilee porch in 2020 after several incidents of antisocial behaviour.
The cathedral said it was ‘mindful’ of the city’s homelessness problem, but did not ‘believe that allowing people to sleep in this area of the cathedral was appropriate and it needs to be discouraged’.
An artist’s impression of steel railings Lincoln Cathedral wants to build to stop homeless people sleeping in a historic porch
The cathedral acknowledged the railings could be climbed but argued it would be ‘enough to deter people’
It wrote in a planning application: ‘After the cathedral is closed people sometimes congregate in the Galilee Porch, taking drugs and causing damage to the delicate 13th C fabric. Fires have been started.
‘Sometimes rough sleepers stay in this area often leaving an unhygienic mess to be cleared up by the vergers.
‘The porch conceals an area to the side of the SW Transept and this is frequently used by rough sleepers who often leave the area in a very poor state and can be threatening in their behaviour.
‘Again vandalism is sometimes caused to the fabric of the cathedral.’
The cathedral also said it had concerns about masonry falling from the south side of the nave, which is in need of repair.
It added: ‘Because of other fabric priorities elsewhere it will be some considerable time before the masonry repairs can be attended to. It is therefore desirable to keep the public away from the wall for the nave.’
The cathedral was accused of ‘unchristian’ behaviour when it put up a temporary fence by the Galilee porch in 2020 after several incidents of antisocial behaviour
A view of Lincoln Cathedral – one of Britain’s most stunning medieval buildings
Will Harrison, Chapter Clerk, told the BBC: ‘We have done our utmost to support homeless people practically, and we have always welcomed the majority whom we have come to know, and who have respected the shelter provided by the cathedral.
‘However, following a series of serious incidents, we had to reassess the situation.
‘Our staff were daily removing human waste found on and around the cathedral building. We also found significant damage as a result of a fire in the Galilee Porch,’ he added.
The local YMCA has praised the work Lincoln Cathedral has done for the city’s homeless.
In recent years, landlords have been criticised for putting up ‘homeless spikes’ to stop people sleeping in the doorways of flats in London.
In 2014, the row attracted the attention of Boris Johnson, then London Mayor, who branded the approach – which involves installing short, blunt spikes in areas that could be used by rough sleepers – ‘inhumane’.
An aerial impression of the location of the fencing. Local charities have praised the work done by the cathedral to help Lincoln’s homeless
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