Bristol has highest number of vehicle dwellers in UK, says report

Residents in Clifton and Stoke Bishop have complained about the number of van dwellers in the area

Bristol has the highest number of people living in vehicles across all council areas in Britain after a sharp rise since 2020, according to a report.

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, said the demographic of people living in vans had changed from a lifestyle choice to a necessity "because of poverty".

An estimated 800 people are living inside 600 to 650 vehicles in Bristol, according to a new council report.

Before the pandemic, there were about 100 and 150 vehicles dwellers.

Many van dwellers live on the Downs, which has caused complaints from people living in Clifton and Stoke Bishop, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The complaints include fly-tipping, public urination and the view from their homes, and some residents have called the report "woefully inadequate".

Conservative councillors accused the mayor of "kicking the can down the road" during a member forum meeting on 12 March.Councillor Geoff Gollop said there are "significant troubles" arising from the Downs encampment, with waste officers refusing to collect rubbish from there. "It feels very much like you are by not taking action on this critical issue," he said.

Housing crisis

Mr Rees said that the council is attempting to create sites for vehicle dwellers, like in Sea Mills, but it was "not always easy".

"Nobody's kicking the can down the road. We want to treat people in vehicles with the same due care that we treat everyone else in the city with," Mr Rees said.

"One of the things the housing crisis looks like, on top of a cost of living crisis, and the driving down of local government resources, and the failure to support local government to build homes over the last 14 years, is people living in caravans and vehicles, where they can't afford to be part of our housing stock," he added.

According to the report, other council areas have a smaller number of vehicle dwellers but a higher proportion, when taking into account the population.For example, Glastonbury, while smaller than Bristol, has a much higher proportion of people living in vehicles.

Many vehicle dwellers live on the Downs in Clifton

Vehicle dweller Laura gave evidence for the report and said there was "no way out of the cycle".

She added: "The main reason is money. Working 50-70 hours a week to pay for a shared house that you spend very little time in due to working so much was making me unwell.

"Saving money is almost impossible on minimum wage and paying Bristol rent prices was a joke."