Van residents told ‘don’t ‘respect the Downs” as eviction notice served

Bristol Live readers are divided over the news that Bristol City Council has issued an order for caravans and vehicles parked in a popular park in Bristol to leave the area. The move marks the latest development in the ongoing dispute between Clifton Down and Durdham Down residents and vehicle occupants over the right to park indefinitely at the scenic location.

Locals are calling for a ban on overnight roadside camping by those adopting this alternative lifestyle, either by choice or because of the housing crisis, citing issues such as the area becoming a ‘no-go’ and being misused as a ‘latrine’ . “

The van dwellers expressed their desire for privacy, countering any negative image by highlighting their positive involvement in the community, such as cleaning up litter and preventing crime. However, some residents have reported problems associated with van dwellers, including littering, littering and public urination.

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In Bristol, around 800 people live in 600 to 650 vehicles, a trend driven by the escalating housing crisis and residents’ desire to reduce their living expenses. The neighborhood enforcement team is scheduled to return on June 26.

Following the Bristol Live article about the council’s decision to evict the van dwellers, readers took to the comments section to express their views. Commenter BMushroom said: “Great to finally see some action from the council after the public have done their duty. So Va agrees, “It’s high time the CCA took action against these illegal vehicle owners. Hopefully the BCC will track down and remove all these unsightly van dwellers.”

Kingswoodbiffo added: “It’s time for our new council to put on their big boy pants… All vehicles should be moved or removed immediately.” And Rolandrp said, That is good in regard. Those displaced from this area will find other places to park in the city. So it will probably be closer to people’s homes outside the current RPZs. The council knows this, but the Downs are high profile.” And Holdencaulfield agrees: “Most likely Sneyd Park / Stoke Bishop. Wide green roads, many with little traffic and all have zero RPZ.”

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Onlooker2 pointed out: “If the average driver parks illegally the BCC fines them, time to police The Downs.” And KingCiaran added: “The police don’t enforce traffic rules. The signs are up. You just need a cop on a bike to ticket vehicles for parking too long. Or a parking lot attendant.” drnp7 replies: “I know.. try parking on Whiteladies Road for 2 minutes over your allotted time and they’ll get you.. but ticketing someone illegally parked in the same spot for a few years doesn’t seem to let them.”

Drnp7 added: “There are parking restrictions on the road where vans are parked. This limits parking to a maximum of 5 hours. So currently van dwellers are being shown favoritism by the council which allows them to break the law by parking permanently. Residents who could park their cars in restricted parking areas are the ones being discriminated against.”

Red93 sees a bigger picture, they said: “More evidence of the worst housing crisis Bristol has ever seen. We will all be affected in some way, I suspect, before it is over, if it ever is. Hopefully the next Labor government will have some better ideas about how to fix it.” lesserknown19 offers a solution: “The new Green BCC needs to stop building student housing, which causes real estate developers to focus solely on that market. And not the need for social housing or real affordable housing that the city needs.”

BrizzleMum added: “A lot of retirees who live there because they can’t afford to rent anywhere and aren’t lucky enough to own a house. On top of that, many of the other people who live there work full-time, so they contribute to society in other ways. All I ever see is people talking about council tax… For those who do their own waste (which many do, few litter, not many!) and don’t use other council services, why would do I have to pay council tax?!”

Harryharrison commented: “I was so surprised to see the amount of old vans, converted caravans, horse trucks etc etc parked on the ground on a Sunday morning! These people, as nice as they are, should have a little more respect for the extraordinary beauty of the area and what visitors to this great city must believe! I also think someone needs to help them find land where they can rent a space with toilet blocks and showers. If people want to live in a box that depends on them, fine, but please not in view of anyone who wants to enjoy the downhills and open spaces.”

And IanW agreed: “Everyone is welcome to park temporarily to enjoy the Downs respectfully. Don’t park permanently, live for free and don’t respect the Downs.”

Has this problem affected you? Should the van dwellers be allowed to stay? Tell us what you think in our comments section.