Cold weather forecast: Peterborough's council monitoring conditions for homeless daily as temperatures rise

Peterborough City Council will review the Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) currently in place to help the homeless and rough sleepers in the cold weather conditions.

SWEP is activated when night time temperatures drop below zero.

It means Peterborough City Council then help to provide temporary accommodation to people sleeping rough.

SWEP was first introduced on December 7 to support people on Peterborough’s streets during the cold snap, which swept across the country, with daytime and overnight temperatures plummeting below freezing.

The council has said that although, as of December 15 SWEP remains in action because temperatures are still below zero, it will now review the status of SWEP daily.

It comes as temperatures are expected to begin to rise with night time temperatures not set to drop below zero overnight from December 15.

The Met Office is also forecasting highs of nine degrees celsius in Peterborough on December 18.

This winter, the council has partnered with charity Safer Off the Streets, which helps the homeless and rough sleepers to access the support they need.

The local authority and the charity are urging rough sleepers to seek support by contacting it’s housing needs department, either by phone [01733 864157] or by going to the New Haven, in Towler Street.

They are also calling for residents to report the whereabouts of rough sleepers using Street Links – a national reporting tool which members of the public can use to identify rough sleepers who they feel might need help.

You can do this via the Street Links website or app.