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Plans to move vehicle dwellers after sanitation complaints
City councillors have confirmed that they are working on an “enforcement” plan to move a group of vehicle dwellers from the Downs.
In a statement published on Tuesday afternoon, councillors Barry Parsons and Stephen Williams said the decision follows a detailed complaint they received raising concerns about areas of the green space being used as a toilet.
“This is not acceptable and presents a significant public health issue,” said Parsons and Williams, who also chair the homes and housing delivery committee and public health and communities policy committee, respectively.
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More than 600 people are estimated to live in vans and caravans across Bristol – photo: Cerys Larsen
Following the complaint, a council neighbourhood enforcement team visited the area and was able to verify that several sites were “being used as organised toilet facilities, filled with human waste”.
The councillors added: “While this is not the first time we have received complaints about people using the Downs as a toilet, it has previously been very difficult to link these actions to the people living in vehicles, as the area is a popular site for events and has a high turnover of visitors.
“On this occasion, the presence of water bottles and tissues found at these sites suggests regular use, supporting local intelligence that these areas are being used as toilets by people living in vehicles around the area.
“Clearly, we cannot just stand back and allow this to happen.
“We have a duty to make sure the Downs is accessible to all and that we are not allowing parts of it to become ‘no-go’ zones.
“Human waste represents a serious hazard to anyone using the Downs, particularly young children and pets who may play in bushes.”
Hundreds assembled on the Downs in June as part of a campaign to Protect the Downs – photo: Rob Browne
As part of “immediate” action to mitigate initial public health risks, Parsons and Williams said that Bristol Waste teams are on site, clearing the affected areas and will also be returning regularly to remove waste. The councillors thanked the Bristol Waste team for carrying out “what must be a very unpleasant job”.
The councillors said that they understand this is only a short-term solution and are working towards an enforcement plan to “begin to move the group of lived in vehicles from the Downs”.
They said: “We appreciate that moving such a large group is not going to be an easy task, and will require a lot of coordination, but we cannot allow a public health risk to continue.
“We are also aware that most vehicle dwellers will not be engaging in this sort of behaviour, but now that this issue has been identified and confirmed, we have to take action to put an end to this behaviour and make sure the Downs remains open to everyone.
“We do not simply want to displace people around the city, especially during the difficult winter months.
“We have two outreach workers who will seek to engage with vehicle dwellers – prioritising the most vulnerable people due to capacity – to link them in with support services and help them to secure a route away from vehicle dwelling.
“Fundamentally, we want to make sure that all communities, including those living in vehicles or caravans, and those in homes in neighbourhoods, have a meaningful and fair chance to live healthy and safe lives.”
In September, residents raised concerns about the rising numbers of vehicle dwellers on Goodenston Road
Following a public consultation that concluded at the end of October, the council are working towards a revised strategy to address the rise in the number of vehicle dwellers across the city.
Parsons had previously said a revised policy, taking into account responses from the consultation, will go to the housing and delivery committee for a decision on December 19.
He said: “If approved, we plan to produce an action plan to accompany the policy when it goes to committee in December.
“There may be a transitional period of bedding in the new approach, to ensure we have all the resources, procedures and processes in place, alongside an expanded number of Meanwhile Site pitches.
“We will be working towards introducing a phased implementation of the policy, but this will be dependent on what the consultation tells us.”
The councillors in their statement on Tuesday confirmed that they had also removed one abandoned caravan and one abandoned vehicle from Goodenston Road in Fishponds, where residents had reported a surge in the number of vehicle dwellers in September.
An eviction was also carried out on Peter’s Terrace in Barton Hill, a site which the councillors said has had “multiple issues” with anti-social behaviour, including evidence of criminality.
They added: “Finally, we would appeal to anyone currently using the Downs as a toilet to please use the alternative options available and stop creating a public health risk for other visitors.”
The Bristol Community Toilet scheme provides public access to a range of toilets across the city.
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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