Vehicle dwellers on old railway line in Brislington say they will move on

Vehicle dwellers situated on the old Bristol and North Somerset Railway in Brislington are ‘respecting the site and have not been linked to any antisocial behaviour’, say Bristol City Council.

The community with at least eight vans and caravans located on the stretch of line known as the Tramway have also said they will move on - but only when legal papers for eviction have been served.

The group moved on to the site at the beginning of June, and were quickly approached by the council’s Gypsy Roma Traveller Team, which carried out a welfare assessment. A trespass notice was also served by the authority.

A spokesperson said: “The Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) Team has been aware of the group of vehicle dwellers on the Tramways site in Brislington since their first arrival.

“We visited the group and carried out a welfare assessment before serving them with a trespass notice several weeks ago.

“We have stayed in close contact with the group, both by visiting them and speaking on the phone, while we wait to be granted permission from the court to proceed with eviction.

“The group are respecting the site and have not been linked to any antisocial behaviour. They have told us that they will leave as soon as legal papers are served.”

The site where the group is based, near the Lodekka pub, is set to become a temporary walking and cycling route under plans approved earlier this year. A steel gate blocking entrance to the area is now open.

Last year, mayor Marvin Rees said there were about 500 vehicle dwellers living in the city - the highest number of dwellers of any local authority in the country.

He said it was the result of ‘wider systemic issues around inequality’, the impact of a growing population and rising gentrification in the city.