Legal action will be taken to evict protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral, the City of London Corporation has announced.
The planning and transport committee voted to go ahead with court action to remove more than 200 tents from the public highways around the cathedral.
The decision came as the doors of the cathedral reopened after being closed for a week due to the anti-capitalist protest - the first time it has been shut to the public since the Second World War.
Michael Welbank, who chaired the committee, said: "Protest is an essential right in a democracy but camping on the highway is not and we believe we will have a strong highways case because an encampment on a busy thoroughfare clearly impacts the rights of others."
Stuart Fraser, chairman of policy and resources at the corporation, said: "We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people without tents - provided the highway is fully usable - but campsites and important highways don't mix."
A spokesperson for St Paul's Cathedral said that legal action had "regrettably become necessary" as protesters refused to leave the area peacefully.
The cathedral said: "The Chapter only takes this step with the greatest reluctance and remains committed to a peaceful solution.
"At each step of the legal process the Chapter will continue to entreat the protesters to agree to a peaceful solution and, if an injunction is granted, will then be able to discuss with the protesters how to reach this solution.
"Theirs is a message that the Chapter has both heard and shares and looks forward to engaging with the protesters to identify how the message may continue to be debated at St Paul's and acted upon."
The Dean's Verger Charles Williams said he was "very pleased" to reopen the doors of the cathedral to the public.
Legal action will be taken to evict protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral, the City of London Corporation has announced.
The planning and transport committee voted to go ahead with court action to remove more than 200 tents from the public highways around the cathedral.
The decision came as the doors of the cathedral reopened after being closed for a week due to the anti-capitalist protest - the first time it has been shut to the public since the Second World War.
Michael Welbank, who chaired the committee, said: "Protest is an essential right in a democracy but camping on the highway is not and we believe we will have a strong highways case because an encampment on a busy thoroughfare clearly impacts the rights of others."
Stuart Fraser, chairman of policy and resources at the corporation, said: "We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people without tents - provided the highway is fully usable - but campsites and important highways don't mix."
A spokesperson for St Paul's Cathedral said that legal action had "regrettably become necessary" as protesters refused to leave the area peacefully.
The cathedral said: "The Chapter only takes this step with the greatest reluctance and remains committed to a peaceful solution.
"At each step of the legal process the Chapter will continue to entreat the protesters to agree to a peaceful solution and, if an injunction is granted, will then be able to discuss with the protesters how to reach this solution.
"Theirs is a message that the Chapter has both heard and shares and looks forward to engaging with the protesters to identify how the message may continue to be debated at St Paul's and acted upon."
The Dean's Verger Charles Williams said he was "very pleased" to reopen the doors of the cathedral to the public.