There are twice the number of rough sleepers on the streets of Bromley than six years ago, according to a new report.

The were total 57 different rough sleepers identified throughout 2016/17, with 42 of these identified as new rough sleepers.

A snapshot taken by the council in November found five people, all of whom are known to the council, sleeping rough.

This comes as Bromley Council prepares a draft homelessness strategy to combat the dramatic rise in people on the streets.

The strategy will add to work already carried out by homeless organsiations in the borough, supported by the council, to try and prevent homelessness. 

Homelessness across London has increased significantly, and the number of households being placed in temporary accommodation in Bromley has consistently increased since 2012.

Between 2012 and 2017 there was an increase of 135 per cent in temporary accommodation in Bromley - with 1,439 households being placed in it.

Angela Wilkins, councillor for Crystal Palace and leader of the Labour group, said: "Homelessness is at an all-time high across the UK, but in London it's beyond crisis level now.

"The increase in rough sleepers is the most extreme evidence and it is simply unacceptable, in a city which has such wealth and affluence, that people are living and dying on our streets.

"Where Bromley could have done better is in starting earlier and doing more. The irony is that the council is paying 1,200 per cent more for temporary accommodation now than it was in 2010 - more than double the average increase across London boroughs. So, not providing homes is costing taxpayers huge sums, whilst local families are living in overcrowded, often substandard accommodation, often outside the borough.

"In my view, it's not only immoral, it's a financial disaster all round."

Similar to the borough of Greenwich, the biggest cause of homelessness in Bromley is the loss of private rented accommodation.

According to the report, six in every 1,000 people are being accepted as homeless in Bromley, above the London average.

In the strategy, the council has set out priorities to identify homelessness early, increase and promote accommodation supply, and support homeless residents to avoid falling them into a cycle.

The council faces increasing costs in providing services to homeless people. Homelessness and temporary accommodation have been increasing year-on-year and it is forecasted to amount to £13.8m of which approximately £9.7m is met through government grants and housing benefit receipt.

According to the report: "Investing in services which prevent homelessness and support people to sustain accommodation in the longer term can help to stem these costs and improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and families.

"The council will continue to invest in services during this strategy to reduce the level of homelessness in Bromley. In the process we seek to minimise the wider costs which may include welfare benefits, health, social care, and criminal justice."

When consulting on the strategy earlier this year, executive member for adult care services and housing, Cllr Diane Smith said: "Housing issues are a priority not only for Bromley but for all councils and the new responsibilities will undoubtedly mean that we will need to offer even more support and help around housing needs for those who require it most.

"Our aim is to do everything we can to prevent homelessness in the first place so there will be a big emphasis on giving advice and support to people before they are in crisis.”

Cllr Smith added: "The rough sleeper figures you refer to are the total people observed throughout 2016/17.

"When looking at snapshot figures for one night, then the average number of rough sleepers in Bromley is five, much less than surrounding boroughs.

"We acknowledge that any number of rough sleepers is too many and we work with London Street Rescue to ensure that we know who is there and that they have support to access accommodation if they come from Bromley or to return to where they came from.

“The number of people in temporary accommodation in the borough has actually gone down recently due to the intense prevention work carried out by the Council’s housing team. 

"In addition due to a number of innovative initiatives such as the house purchase scheme and the conversion of care homes that were not needed any more. There are other new ideas in development including the development of a programme of flexible modular housing.

"The strategy is a reflection of this successful work and outlines how we will continue this and build on it into the future.”