A caravan fire on the Downs has sparked a debate about the future of the hundreds of van dwellers in Bristol. Around 800 people are thought to live in between 600 and 650 vans and caravans, and the city has the highest number of vehicle dwellers across the country.
The fire, which is thought to have been started deliberately, destroyed a caravan in a row of vehicles along one road on the Downs. Neighbours living nearby are growing frustrated with the “eyesores”, with common complaints of litter and toilet waste dumped into bins and drains.
But people living in vehicles say the problems are due to a small minority of van dwellers, and Bristol City Council should install more bins and provide washing facilities. Many local residents urged councillors on the housing policy committee to take action on Friday, February 14.
Raymond Bright said: “Last night on Saville Road a caravan was burnt out, so it certainly isn’t safe for these people to live that way. I don’t know why you don’t move these people down to Avonmouth on a disused industrial site, there’s plenty of them down there.
“What’s going on in Bristol is not right. I’ve had caravans for many years. I lived in my caravan for three months when a house sale fell through, and I thoroughly enjoyed it — on proper sites with water, toilet facilities and everything else. Come on, get your act together.”
James Bailey added: “I’m the closest house to van dwellers on Saville Road. Human excrement is in trees and bushes and poured down the drains next to my front door. My four-year-old has inadvertently picked up tampons, drug baggies and seen a lot more, including syringes. Our residential bins are used for human waste, as are the bins on the Downs.
“Last night at about 11pm there was an explosion outside my house while I was trying to get my little girl to bed. Three more gas canisters exploded. The wind was blowing the embers onto my roof. I was fearful for the infant upstairs trying to get to sleep. If this isn’t a wake-up call, then I really don’t know what is.”
Firefighters were called at 11.24pm on Thursday, February 13, about the caravan on fire on Saville Road. They believe the blaze was started deliberately. Avon and Somerset Police officers also attended the scene, to make sure the surrounding area was safe. The police said they were not aware of anyone being injured, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the cause.
An Avon Fire Service spokesperson said: “Firefighters used hoses, reels and water jets to put out the fire. Two firefighters wore breathing apparatus. They then used a thermal imaging camera to check for any hot spots to ensure the fire was out. Crews also worked with police on the scene to make sure everything was safe. The cause of the fire is thought to be deliberate.”
After the council meeting, two vehicle dwellers were walking their dog along the Downs, near the burned out caravan. Holly lives in a van and stays on the Downs “fairly regularly”, while Rick lives in a boat. Both declined to offer their surnames, but gave their views on the debate. They called for more bins to be installed, as well as taps and washing facilities.
Holly, a director of a fashion company, said: “I haven’t witnessed tension between residents and people parked up here. In any group you’ve got a few people who are going to let the side down and leave rubbish around. The people living here want to continue doing it, so they don’t want to cause a fuss or make a problem, and it’s also their homes, so they don’t litter around there.
“With the cost of living and renting in Bristol, some people are here because they have no other option. Some people are here because it’s their heritage. My parents lived on the road, I was brought up like this. It’s really, really expensive to rent in Bristol now.
“There should be the right to do this for the people who choose to, but also the resources for the people who are forced into it, so they don’t have to if that’s not what they want. It’s obvious they chose not to put bins on this side of the Downs where people are more likely to park up. If the problem is rubbish, put more bins in. The litter from what I’ve seen here is incredibly minimal.”
Another issue is that people need a proof of a permanent address in Bristol to use the tips, which many people living in vans don’t have. Holly said she puts her rubbish into public bins, but would find going to a household waste recycling centre “much easier”, if she was allowed to go.
Rick, a marine engineer, added: “On the canal there are water points, but they’re slowly trying to take them away from us. There was one in Bathampton they tried to close the other day. Bins were brought in, a great idea, to stop people littering on the floor, and now they’re taking the bins away and expecting the litter not to come back. It doesn’t make any sense.
“There’s a large amount of labour hours here that could be used for litter picking and volunteering. Instead of people pointing the fingers and the council twiddling their thumbs, the council should set up a liaison group. There should be a weekly forum meeting.
“There’s thousands of people who live around here, and there’s five people who get really angry. There’s thousands of people who don’t care and who get on really well and wave as they go past. Why not just start ignoring people with the really loud voices who are in the minority, and just doing some work to get everyone together? People need to start talking and sharing gifts.”
The council is now planning to establish service sites for van dwellers, with water, waste disposal and washing machines. These could be set up in supermarket car parks close to a petrol station. Recent analysis found that people living in vans are more likely to suffer infectious diseases linked to a lack of access to clean water, toilets and washing facilities.
Another plan is to establish a formal “vehicle dweller voices” group, to represent the views of people living in vans to the council. Two meanwhile sites could also be turned into permanent areas where people can live in vans, at Kingswear Road in Knowle West and Rudgewood Close in Hartcliffe, with toilets and taps.
Green Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the housing committee, said: “The council’s current approach towards working with vehicle dwellers isn’t any longer sustainable. There has been a very large increase in the number of people living in vehicles in our city. These proposals have at their core a concern for the wellbeing of vehicle dwellers and neighbouring communities.
“It’s a vulnerable place, living on the kerbside. There can be a lot of stigma around this issue, but the attitudes towards vehicle dwelling vary quite a lot. In my ward in Easton, not so long ago when the council proposed evicting a group of vehicle dwellers from a local street, neighbours got up a petition against the eviction. People who live in vehicles are fellow citizens of Bristol.”
Labour Cllr Kerry Bailes added: “It feels like some people are othering them. They are human beings. It could happen to any of us. Homelessness is very rarely a choice. Nobody wakes up one day and thinks ‘I’m going to go and live on the streets, and give up my tenancy’. We have a duty of care to protect these people.”