Chesterfield giant flag landlord plans homeless veterans' camp outside building
A property developer who has found online fame by putting a giant flag on his Chesterfield building has declared his intentions to create an outdoor camp for selected homeless military veterans on the town centre site.
James Holmes’ ‘Fly the Flag’ campaign, symbolised by the huge Union Jack on his disused Saltergate office block, has attracted eyeballs across the web in recent months and he is now looking to further capitalise on that attention.
In a post earlier this week he announced a new scheme, asking for his followers’ support in accommodating former armed forces personnel with no other safe shelter to go to.
Criticising organisations such as the Royal British Legion, he said: “A rough estimate is that a variety of veterans' charities have about £3billion in the UK, in assets, and yet still we have homeless veterans, and homeless veterans dying on the street.
“I do accept that some of these are because some of the problems they've got make it difficult for them to hold down things. I know it's a complicated issue. So, what we're going to do: on the front of our Saltergate building, we're going to put a homeless veterans' camp.
“We will provide security fencing with things on it to give them some privacy, tents, cooking and shower and toilet facilities. They’ll be very, very basic, maybe similar to what they got in the army. We'll provide a bit of electricity so they can maybe charge a phone, cold water – we're not a charity.”
He added: “Let's face it, the world is watching Chesterfield, over 3million views of that flag. So, when people say, ‘Oh, it's Remembrance Day, we must remember, lest we forget the fallen,’ I understand that, but what will you do? What will you do to help?”
James anticipated concerns about the proposal by caricaturing his imagined critics.
He said: “Remembrance Day is coming up. You decide whether you want this to succeed for some of the people that have offered themselves up to pay the ultimate price to defend this country, or you don't, whether you just want to wear a symbolic poppy and say, ‘We're not supporting that because racist, we're not supporting fascists, not supporting Nazis.’ You decide.”
However well intentioned the idea may be, there are reasonable questions to be answered.
Not least why the landlord does not simply open up the building to offer homeless people even better protection through the coldest months of the year, or channel his supporters’ energy towards services already supporting at-risk veterans.
James said: “It’s because then they would become invisible. If you are that concerned about them being inside, then why don't you put them in your house. You wouldn't want to do that, but you might want to support them anyway.”
There are also factors to consider such as the planning permission typically required for any dwelling place used more than 28 days a year, the personal and public health risks of conditions in the camp and how it will interact with local homelessness services.
Chesterfield Borough Council is the relevant authority for such issues, and has yet to comment when questioned by the Derbyshire Times.
Many Facebook users have signalled a willingness to supply the camp with donations of time, food or other resources resources.
James has asked for volunteers to take on the actual running of the camp, and said he was looking for “some ex-military sergeant major-y types.”
One other big question is who exactly the camp is for – whether there are any local homeless people who actually meet James’ criteria, or if instead those people are being invited to travel to the town on a promise of support when so many details are still to be worked out.
James said: “We must be able to verify that you have been a veteran on active tours of duty. We're not just having random druggies, random homeless people, because you'll be overwhelmed and that would not serve the purpose. There’s only me and my business that's doing this.
"It’s only for veterans. We're not saying you've got to have paperwork but whoever's running it has got to be able to verify that you have done active service in a warzone or whatever, so that you have been affected. If you just had a cushy job in some offices at Brize Norton, we're not the place for you. If you've been sat up at Catterick, in the mess hall up there, I'm not saying you weren't in the army but we're not the ones for you.”
In response, one Facebook user said: “I'm a homeless veteran who lives in my motorhome. I despise the narrative that you're setting. Am I still welcome or is it only homeless veterans who are ‘your kind’ who are allowed, James?
“You're using veterans as cannon fodder mate, despicable. Should I wear my medals so that you can reflect in my glory also?”
A spokesperson for the Royal British Legion said: “We believe that no member of the ex-Service community should face homelessness, and that one veteran forced into rough sleeping is one too many.
“We support people to understand the housing options available to them, engage with the appropriate agencies, and access homeless provision and initiatives where appropriate. We would encourage anyone in need of support to call our helpline on 0808 802 8080.”