'Caravan city' dwellers defy order to leave upmarket Bristol park - for now

BristolWorld revealed that Bristol City Council last month attached notices to several of the caravans parked in the leafy Downs area of the city.

The area - made up of Clifton Down and Durdham Down - was once described by David Attenborough as the “jewel in the city’s crown”.

They stated the vehicles need to 'vacate the site within 14 days' and 'failure to do so may result in legal action.

But despite the two-week deadline passing on June 26, BristolWorld reported that many dwellers remained in the area, dubbed 'caravan city'.

The initial enforcement notice, issued on June 12, stated that abandoned vehicles would be removed too amid fears of inappropriate disposal of human waste.

Some refused to speak about whether they planned to leave or face legal proceedings and it is thought many of the vans have simply been abandoned.

Others said they were staying put until next week or planning to uproot today (July 7).

But they admitted they had no idea where they would go as they had lived in vans in the area for years.

A 70-year-old retired van dweller who goes by ‘Gandy’ said: “I’ve lived in a van for seven years now and have lived on-and-off on the Downs for at least four of those.

“But I will be moving on this weekend, of course I will.

"I don’t know where I’ll go yet, it doesn’t matter really, but I do sort of agree with the notice because we don’t really have any right to be here.

“We had the police here last week - telling us everybody has to go or our vehicles will be towed.

“To be honest - I think at least half, or more, of the caravans left here now are abandoned or have just been left here for storage.”

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Paul, who withheld his surname, has lived on the Downs for two months but said he would be leaving this week.

The 63-year-old, who lived in his van for three years, said: “Yeah, I’ll be headed off later today.

"It’s a shame really - I’ve enjoyed living here but it’s not worth the hassle with the council and the police.

“I honestly don’t know where I’ll go at this point - I’m not working, I’m on a state pension, so that gives me some freedom but also, you know, it’s not loads to live on.

“I love living in my van - I’ll never move back to a house or flat - but it’s a shame you know, some of the backlash we’ve faced.”

A few are choosing to uproot this weekend after a parking suspension was put in place on Parrys Lane, which begins tomorrow (July 8), and runs for a week.

Bristol Pride Day - a festival with an expected turnout of 40,000 people - will take place on the nearby Clifton Down on Saturday, July 13.

Many vans and caravans remain on the lane and nearby Saville Road - although a large number look abandoned, some are still clearly inhabited.

According to 2023 figures, Bristol is the most expensive place to live in Britain outside London.

It is thought the lack of affordable homes have forced hundreds of people to give up on conventional living and turn to a life on wheels.

And despite anger from some nearby residents - where houses can sell for millions - not all were supportive of the enforcement action.

Jenny Cross, a 71-year-old retiree who lives near Clifton Down, said: "I don’t really mind the vans to be honest.

"I sort of feel like there isn’t enough accommodation in Bristol. Some people are forced to live in an alternative way, some people chose to live in an alternative way.

"Most of the vans aren't even opposite anyone's homes, they keep the area pretty tidy.

"I suppose you wouldn't want it to build up and up, but really I don't think they're doing any harm.

"I disagree with the eviction notice if they haven't got anywhere else to go - I don't think it's fair."

Liesl, 48, who did not want to give her surname, said she "didn't have a massive objection" to the van dwellers but had concerns about rubbish left near the site.

The therapist, who lives near Clifton Down, said: "I've stopped walking my dog that way only because she ate some of the rubbish they've left out there before and it really worried me.

"I'm scared of what she might eat - there is a lot of rubbish near some of the vans.

“I don’t have a massive objection to the people living there - but I think if the enforcement notice worked and the vans did leave, then I’d start walking that way with my dog again."

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “We are aware that some van dwellers remain on Parry’s Lane.

“Officers continue to monitor the situation in line with our policy for unauthorised encampments.”