As the Occupy London movement enters its sixth week, The City of London Corporation has claimed that the camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral has cost it nearly £500,000.
The corporation has spent £450,000 on policing, £15,000 on cleaning and has allocated £200,000 for legal fees.
The corporation issued an enforcement notice to the camp on Wednesday which states that protesters will have 48 hours to comply with the notice, which takes effect on 30 December unless an appeal is made beforehand.
The enforcement notice also says that the camp is not “an appropriate use of land”.
“It adversely affects the setting of the cathedral and other listed buildings and does not preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the St Paul’s conservation area. It has a significant adverse affect on the general amenity of the area. It adversely impacts other uses in the locality including worshippers and businesses.”
Speaking about the notice, Robin Smith, an Occupy LSX protestor told LondonlovesBusiness.com, “It’s not costing them an exorbitant amount, they’re choosing to spend it. Why don’t they come and speak to us and discuss the issues face to face?”
- VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Inside Occupy LSX’s Bank of Ideas
- VIDEO: Occupy LSX – will eviction end the protests?
Smith shoots down the corporation’s claims of spending £15,000 on cleaning.
“I am encamped outside St Paul’s and I’ve never seen a City of London worker coming to clean the area. We clean the entire camp ourselves and keep it very neat and tidy.”
The eviction hearing will takes place at the high court on 19 December.
Leave a Comment