Bristol tackles rising van dweller complaints with new planters

Britain's 'van dweller capital' is stopping them parking by installing large planters - amid reports of rising complaints.

Bristol has been flooded with over 600 people living in motorhomes, caravans and converted vans as they battle the economic and housing crisis.

The vehicles line several roads and the number of van dwellers in Bristol has quadrupled since 2020, according to recent figures.

Now large wooden planters have been inserted along a road to stop people who live in campervans and caravans from parking there.

People living in vans had been parking along St George's Park and were handed an eviction notice by Bristol City Council in September.

The notice followed an alleged increase in 'substantial numbers of complaints' from housed residents about increased anti-social behaviour.

Most people left within 28 days of being handed the initial council notice, but a court order was used to evict the final residents living in vehicles along Park Crescent and Lake View Road.

There are two vehicles still further up the road apparently 'are subject to enforcement action'.

The planters have been erected along the roads near the Bristol park to stop van inhabitants from coming back.

Green councillor for St George West, Rob Bryher explained the use of planters in a Facebook post.

He said: ''People who regularly enter St George Park from the Park Crescent/Lake View Road access points will have noticed that campervans and caravans have vacated the kerbside space and been replaced by some brand new planters, spaced about a car's width apart.

''I'll explain in this quite long post what has happened.

''Over the past 18 months or so, the live-in vehicles on the road have numbered about 10-15 and been classed as low impact by Bristol City Council's Neighbourhood Enforcement Team (NET).

''This means that other than regular welfare checks, the council considered the accumulation of live-in vehicles at this point to be acceptable.

''During August and early September, around 10-15 new vehicles arrived around Park Cresent and Lake View Road.

'''Substantial numbers of complaints were received from housed residents about increased anti-social behaviour.

''On assessing the situation, NET decided based on police call logs that the vehicle accumulation had moved into the high impact category.

''This required a 14-day informal notice to vacate, another 14-day formal notice to vacate and the use of a court order to remove the final vehicles from these two roads.

''There are two vehicles still in situ further up the road which are subject to enforcement action.

''The housed residents worked with a local business and the council's highways and transport team (with my input) to install the planters when it became clear the category was changing to high impact.

''They serve two functions: 1) they make a good, attractive addition to this area and 2) they ensure larger vehicles (5.5 metres and over) cannot park in this area and hinder visibility like the larger caravans did around the Lake View/Foxcroft/Park Crescent junction. This was unsafe for people crossing from the park and was my primary concern.

''To be clear, smaller campervans will still be able to park in this area, but it was felt by NET, highways and myself that this would be a workable compromise to ensure that larger vehicles could not accumulate and block visibility.

''Road safety is my number one concern and has been as long as I've been a campaigner and councillor in the area.

''I know that people across St George West think different things about caravan and campervan dwellers and will equally feel different things about this change.

''My job is to represent everyone who lives in St George West (housed or van-dwelling) and to mediate between groups who may be in conflict to find workable solutions.

''Bristol has over 600 people living in vehicles and although we are bringing forward two new meanwhile sites through the planning process, there are no easy solutions to the housing crisis at the local level.

''At the same time, living in a moveable vehicle is not illegal in the UK and people have the right to do it.

''My view is that nationally we need rent controls and a housing-first approach to homelessness.

''We also need to ensure that people who have addiction and/or mental health support needs are provided with the required support. The NET enforcement action included welfare checks and signposting to relevant housing agencies and other services.

''I wish I could click my fingers and enact an equal standard of living for all. But for now, we have to find suitable compromises that prevent large accumulations of live-in vehicles in single locations while at the same time showing understanding and care to vehicle dwellers.

''Finally, the highways team are thankfully taking this opportunity to install accessible crossings into the park along Park Crescent (which is the orange fencing and digging you will notice). I'm really pleased about this and hope this will help people to feel and BE safer when accessing the park along here.''