MORE than 70 people will continue to sleep inside a makeshift encampment at Martin Place as the City of Sydney maintains a contentious policy to let Sydney’s homeless population sleep where they wish.

Central Sydney gained ­access to the huge camp, on the corner of Elizabeth St opposite the Lindt Cafe, which includes bedding for scores of rough sleepers, this week.

Inside the hoardings is also a small library and a functioning soup kitchen — serving everything from hot breakfasts to barbecues.

A City spokeswoman confirmed that since December 2016 when the camp sprung up, rough sleepers had never been asked to move on as “homelessness is not illegal”.

media_camera Bill Lemon serves some soup to Nina Wilson at the homeless camp in Martin Place.

media_camera Loads of food is left at the camp.

She said staff had ­removed “unauthorised” items, such as gas canisters for cooking, following safety concerns.

The camp’s unofficial ­leaders insist they will maintain their stay in Sydney’s premier public piazza indefinitely.

Lanz Priestley and Nina Wilson said the makeshift camp housed between 55 to 70 people a night — a figure which could double if a bold crowd-funding plan to purchase 50 bunk beds is successful.

Mr Priestley said the camp looked after the homeless, domestic violence ­victims and hospital ­patients and served up to 500 meals a day.

media_camera One of the residents sleeping in camp.

media_camera While another read’s Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything .

He said City staff had ­conducted four raids on the camp but had been unable to dismantle it, he said.

“We were back in 48 hours and we were 50 per cent bigger than before they raided us,” Mr Priestley said.

Liberal councillor Christine Forster said the camp should be dismantled.

The issue of homelessness means the situation “tugs on the heartstrings and makes it difficult for it to be dealt with as it should be — which is trespassing,” she said.

“The reality is that this is not the right place or the right response,” Cr Forster said.

media_camera A display of art and possessions.

media_camera Evoking the protection of Jesus.

She said Mr Priestly, who was involved in the original Occupy Sydney movement, as an anarchist who had latched onto the issue of homelessness as a form of political protest.

The camp posed very serious health and safety concerns as part of a “political crusade that has nothing to do with homelessness,” Cr Forster said.

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A Family and Community Services spokesman said staff were visiting the site twice a week to provide support.

The City spokeswoman said that since January, more than 50 people sleeping rough in the area have received mental health and housing assistance.

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