Overnight parking ban at Bristol Downs could deter van dwellers

Some roads on The Downs in Bristol have become home to people who live in their vans

An overnight parking ban could be brought in to deter the rising number of van dwellers.

Advisers suggested that anybody caught parking overnight on certain roads by the Downs in Bristol could be fined £500, and any vans without a registration plate towed away.

At least 60 vans are thought to be parked on the Downs long-term.

As rents in Bristol are increasing, van dwellers have cheaper living costs compared to people renting.

But local councillors say they receive lots of complaints about the vans, and some people want an "unadulterated" view of the large park in north Bristol.

Banning overnight parking could encourage van dwellers to move elsewhere, according to the new Downs Advisory Panel.

Robert Westlake, chair of the Downs Advisory Panel, told the committee they should ask Bristol City Council to consider a ban, during a public meeting on Monday.

The ban would affect anyone parking on Circular Road or Ladies Mile from 01:00 to 04:00 BST, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Westlake said: "On the last count I did, there were over 60 [vans], and they've now spread onto Ladies Mile and Circular Road.

"This situation is likely to get even worse. The panel discussed that these areas could and should be reclaimed."

A temporary total ban was recently in place during the Forwards Festival, held on the Downs at the start of September.

Green councillor Paula O'Rourke, representing Clifton, said: "We have van dwellers who have nowhere else to live, it's a very complicated problem.

"In my heart, I do have a concern about just doing something which would be quite draconian, unless the city can find them somewhere else to go."

The Downs committee does not have the power to bring in a parking ban, but they could suggest the idea to the council, which has the power as the highways authority.