Hundreds gather for protest against caravan presence on the Downs

Tensions between residents and van dwellers in Bristol’s usually tranquil Clifton suburb have been rising for months, following a sharp increase in the number of mobile homes parked on the Downs in the post-pandemic years. The Downs is now believed to be one of the largest van-dwelling sites in the country.

The tensions all seemingly came to a head on Thursday evening, when an estimated 300 people swarmed the Downs for a peaceful protest walk, to “highlight the impact of council inaction on public wellbeing”.

Poster advertising the walk via Protect the Downs Facebook

They were, in short, protesting the growing number of van dwellers who park their mobile homes on the Downs. Local residents have complained about human waste, rubbish, anti-social behaviour, and the negative impact of the vans on their views, streets, and community. They question why van dwellers are allowed to stay for extended periods (weeks, months, and even years) when parking is normally limited to 5 hours.

The protest was organised by “Protect the Downs” a group that has amassed almost 2,000 members on Facebook. The chairman of the group, Tony Nelson, made a speech to the crowd that had gathered, reminding them that their purpose was to highlight the failings of Bristol City Council and the impact their inaction has had on the Downs. Referring to the van-dwellers, he said:

“There are people who need support, and they’re not getting it.”

Nelson urged attendees to engage respectfully with van-dwellers. Despite this, tensions surfaced during the event, with at least one heated exchange observed.

Most Read

It’s over! OnlyFans confirms Bonnie Blue’s ban is permanent and the exact reason why

OnlyFans releases stern statement as it DEACTIVATES Bonnie Blue’s account for defiant reason

22-year-old who did vile stunt with Bonnie Blue says she’s ‘traumatised’ and needs therapy

The protest comes after more than 450 people crammed into a small church in Redland in March of this year to raise their complaints to the man in charge of housing in Bristol, Councillor Barry Parsons.

Following the march, he has assured everyone that Bristol City Council is “taking proactive steps to apply for an injunction”. If approved, the injunction would prevent people from living in vans, caravans, and mobile homes on the Downs, and allow officers to move pitched vehicles off the space more quickly. However, such an injunction would only apply to vehicles on one side of the road. This injunction would not be the first of its kind. In 2023, an injunction was imposed for people living in vehicles in Greenbank, in the east of the city.

This leaves huge concerns for those currently living in mobile homes in the green space, many of whom have attributed the need to live there to the unaffordable house prices and cost of living. These soaring prices have made Bristol one of the UK’s most expensive cities, and many people simply cannot afford to live in the city.

So far, there has been little talk about solutions that will be offered to those currently living on the Downs if the injunction is approved.  The council has said its longer-term plan would be to create up to 250 spaces for the van-dwellers on land which is due to be developed. However, there is no time scale for this currently and the estimated number of van-dwellers in the city exceeds 600. Evidently there is no quick-fix to the solution, and the future for van-dwellers in Bristol remains uncertain.

Featured image via Google Maps