Group to sue council as van dweller numbers rise

Hundreds of people attended a public meeting on Monday

A community group is fundraising £40,000 to take a council to court over its "lack of action" on van dwellers.

Hundreds of people attended Protect the Downs community action group's public meetings on Monday to discuss Bristol City Council's ongoing consultation on van dwellers.

There are more than 600 lived-in vehicles across the city, with numbers having increased by 300% since 2019.

The council has said it was creating 250 pitches for people living in caravans in the city where it was "safe and has some basic services", as well as enforcing pay and display parking on the Downs.

Tony Nelson, the group's chair, said legal action would "will hold their [the council's] feet to the fire".

Over the last few years, tensions have risen between vehicle dwellers and residents on the Downs.

The council is proposing people should be offered up to three months' support to find an alternative to living on the kerbside, before enforcement action is taken.

It also wants to create 250 pitches for people living in caravans in the city where it is "safe and has some basic services", and enforce pay and display parking on the Downs.

Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the council's homes and housing delivery committee, said about 100 of them will be open "pretty soon".

Many van dwellers have parked at the Downs, causing tension with local residents

Mr Nelson told the public meeting the group plans to be a "chronic pain" to the council.

"The policy has gaps, it's missing Key Performance Indicator (KPIs). It's a fundamental flaw," he told the BBC ahead of the meeting.

"If you were a big business and delivered a policy without any KPIs you'd be out. How are we allowing this to happen?"

"Maybe they don't want KPIs because they can be held to account for when they don't deliver.

"I don't think they have any real intention of delivering. I think they're very happy for this situation to go on."

'Not sustainable'

Mr Parsons said the council will "deal with it [the legal action] under the usual processes", and that the council has written to the government about some caravans not having licence plates".

"We've put in a lot of work into trying to come up with something that we think will work," he said.

"We don't think it's enough to move people from one place to another around the city, this is a vulnerable group of people in many ways.

"This is something we've seen growing and growing over the last few years."

"Living long-term by the kerb is not sustainable or good for anyone", he added.

Once responses on the public consultation have been analysed and any changes made, it was expected that a final policy would be agreed in December.