Bristol beauty spot slammed for turning into ‘a shanty town and dumping ground’ due to fly-tipping

A ‘beloved’ Bristol beauty spot has attracted criticism that is ‘gradually deteriorating into a shanty town and dumping ground’.

On Reddit, a user has hit out at the state of the Downs, posting a picture of a fly-tipped mattress and furniture on one of the roads through it.

“It’s truly disheartening to witness a city that prides itself on community values showing such disrespect for a public space,” they wrote.

In response, other users have speculated about the supposed increase in fly-tipping around the park. “I wonder if it has anything to do with the introduction of changes at the refuse centre,” said one user.

“That has very obviously been fly-tipped by somebody who lives in a house,” added another, suggesting the multiple van dwellers parked at Circular Road and Ladies Mile on the Downs are not to blame for the problem.

At least 60 van dwellers are parked on the Downs long-term, but an overnight parking ban could be brought in to deter them.

When BristolWorld visited the Downs, we came across fly-tipping including a mattress, trolleys and black bags.

One Downs walker, who did not wish to be named, told us piles of fly-tipping are something he comes across most days.

“Some people come here and dump their stuff as they can’t be bothered to go to the tip, and then there are vans that leave their rubbish,” said the 72-year-old from Redland.

“Sometimes they go and just leave a pile of stuff behind, you get people that litter and have so little respect.”

Another Downs visitor, who’s also in his 70s and from Henleaze but does wish to be named, told BristolWorld he hasn’t noticed an increase in fly-tipping. “There’s a habitual problem with some sort of tipping that comes with van dwellers,” he said.

His wife added: “It’s not fly-tipping, but I do get cross when people just chuck their takeaway boxes. Maybe there should be more bins that hold more rubbish. I know they’re unsightly but not as unsightly as the rubbish.”

She also suggested the numerous music events held on the Downs are a contributing factor: “The organisers pick up most of it but there’s the other side of the fence where people leave stuff and suddenly it becomes someone else’s responsibility.”