Community Group Sues Bristol Council Over Van Dwellers' Plight

In Bristol, a community group called Protect the Downs is taking legal action against the city council over its handling of the growing van dwelling crisis. According to the group, there are now over 600 lived-in vehicles across the city, with numbers having increased by a staggering 300% since 2019.

The council has proposed offering people up to three months' support to find alternative accommodation before enforcement action is taken. It also plans to create 250 pitches for people living in caravans and enforce pay-and-display parking on the Downs. However, the community group says the council's policy is flawed, lacking key performance indicators (KPIs) to hold the authorities accountable.

"The policy has gaps, it's missing Key Performance Indicator (KPIs). It's a fundamental flaw," said the group's chair, Tony Nelson. "If you were a big business and delivered a policy without any KPIs you'd be out. How are we allowing this to happen?"

The group is now fundraising £40,000 to take the council to court, determined to "hold their feet to the fire" and force them to take meaningful action on the van dwelling crisis. Tensions have been rising between vehicle dwellers and local residents, and the community group is vowing to be a "chronic pain" to the council until the issue is resolved.