'So much hate' Residents battle van-dwellers on Bristol's Downs

Lee James, sheltering in the rusting Mercedes Sprinter van he calls home, is worried sick by the growing campaign to evict van-dwellers like him from historic open space in the wealthy north-west of Bristol.

- Tom Wall

Lee James, sheltering in the rusting Mercedes Sprinter van he calls home, is worried sick by the growing campaign to evict van-dwellers like him from historic open space in the wealthy north-west of Bristol. "I'm not in the greatest headspace today," he said from the vehicle's gloomy interior. "I wouldn't have anywhere to go... this is my home." He added: "I just wish there was more kindness."

Last week, residents from the neighbourhoods surrounding Bristol's Downs, where house prices and average incomes are among the highest in the city, lobbied the Green-led council to remove the 60 to 100 vans and caravans sited in the park.

There are about 650 live-in vehicles across Bristol, which has been called the van-dwelling capital of the UK. The number has quadrupled over the past five years, with the council estimating there were 150 such vehicles in 2019.

Other van-dwelling hotspots include Brighton, Falmouth and Glastonbury. National numbers are hard to gauge as few councils count vehicle-dwellers, but people are thought to be living in vans and caravans in every city in the UK. Torbay last year used private enforcement officers to crack down on van-dwelling encampments.

The issue is becoming increasingly divisive in Bristol. Residents have formed a "Protect the Downs" action group and marched through the park. The group addressed a city council meeting last week after more than 8,000 people signed a petition calling on councillors to "remove van-dwelling encampments".