By Dana Andrea Datu, News Reporter
Protect the Downs (PTD) held a public meeting in Redland to reaffirm their commitment to take legal action against Bristol City Council over what the group sees as the authority’s failure to manage vehicle dwellers on the Downs.
In a press release, PTD alleged multiple legal breaches by the Bristol City Council, including the ‘Failure to Protect the Environment, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)’ and ‘Failure to Enforce the Downs Act’, and aims to settle such failures in court.
Previously seeking to fundraise £40,000 for their campaign, PTD now aims to reach £50,000, according to an email sent out on October 24 to the group's mailing list subscribers.
On their website, the community group claims that the presence of vehicle dwellers has led to ‘environmental damage from human waste… littering, and exhaust fumes ruining homes.’
The money will cover legal fees, encourage residents to attend the council committee meetings, and support residents seeking a temporary council tax reduction due to reduced amenities.
In recent years, there have been growing tensions between community members and vehicle dwellers on the Downs. In April, Epigram reported on a previous meeting in which residents called for the removal of the vans and a solution to the wider housing crisis.
Hannah Stainbank
Bristol City Council says that the number of vehicle dwellers in Bristol has increased ‘significantly’ over the past few years, with an estimated 640 to 680 lived-in vehicles across the city.
Protect the Downs says that they aim to redirect vehicle dwellers to sustainable options, such as housing pathways and designated sites, and has consulted those affected to reach a balanced solution.
In a press release, Tony Nelson, the Chair of PTD, emphasised the group's mission of ‘balancing compassion and responsibility’, stating:
‘This campaign is not about hostility; it’s about fairness, safety, and effective governance.
‘Bristol deserves a Council that enforces its own rules and protects the vulnerable, long-term residents, and the environment.’
Bristol City Council is actively developing a new Vehicle Dweller policy to be presented to the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee in December, and launched a now closed public consultation in September, which looked to hear from both vehicle dwellers and members of the local communities around encampments.
Around this time, they proposed that people be offered up to three months’ support to find an alternative to kerbside living before enforcement action is taken.
The council say the new policy will balance local needs with offering support to van dwellers and will ensure the authority is ‘more clear about when and how action will be taken’.
‘We understand that the current situation is not sustainable, and so we're taking a proactive stance,’ the council's website states, ‘We aim to encourage vehicle dwellers towards housing pathways and designated sites, and support them to move on from living on the highway.’
Cara Hene
Arthur Clinton
Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the council’s Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, has also said the council is creating 250 temporary pitches that will provide basic services for those living in caravans.
More information regarding the Protect the Downs’ campaign can be found here, and you can visit the council's webpage on the situation here.
Featured image: Epigram / Jess Liddemore
