At 8.30am on the morning of Thursday 24th July, senior representatives from a variety of agencies met over breakfast in the Fleet Street offices of Needhams 1834, to share ideas and hear concerns related to certain aspects of Operation Poncho, the City of London Corporation's campaign to reduce the number of rough sleepers in the City.

Representatives from the Corporation, the homeless charity Broadway, and the City of London Police outlined the effectiveness of Operation Poncho as a whole, and listened to the concerns voiced by members of concerned agencies. These representatives included a local businessmen, a homeless charity worker, an academic researching homelessness, and a representative from Xchange - the young people's group from Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church. The meeting was chaired by Simon Perry, one of Bloomsbury's ministers.

There was widespread acknowledgement that working with homeless people is a complex process which involves making difficult decisions that always need to be re-examined in light of their outcomes. Those concerned with the street cleaning aspect of the operation were invited again to reflect upon the impressive results that the operation has seen in recent months. Throughout the discussion, the Corporation demonstrated a willingness to listen carefully to concerns about the outcomes of the 'street cleaning' element of this operation, and did so with high degree of transparency and openness to explore alternative approaches.

In this spirit, the decision was made to suspend the street cleaning provisionally, but with immediate effect in order to assess the true extent of its efficacy.

The City of London Corporation has given us this statement: The City of London Corporation has agreed to suspend the street cleaning aspect of Operation Poncho provisionally - subject to review in September. If the number of rough sleepers rises after suspending the street cleaning aspect, the City of London will consider reinstating it. Our key aim in Operation Poncho has been to help those people who live on the streets to find alternative accommodation and we are extremely proud of the results we have had so far. Sleeping rough is dangerous and unhealthy and our goal is to help rough sleepers a roof over their heads and where necessary help them build a life off the streets.

From the Church's perspective, the Corporation's decision to re-examine this particular aspect of Operation Poncho was very welcome indeed. It highlighted the Corporation's agencies' inclusive approach, demonstrated their ability to listen properly, and concluded by a frank and open discourse on this sensitive and potentially divisive issue. The meeting was marked by a collaborative mood which bodes well for further such meetings suggested by the corporation as their work continues.