Dozens of autos in Britain’s ‘van dweller capital’ are left deserted as council lastly carries out crackdown evictions

Dozens of vehicles in Britain’s ‘van dweller capital’ have been left abandoned after the owners were finally given eviction notices by the council.

In recent years, large numbers of people in Bristol have been setting up their homes in mobile vehicles rather than bricks and mortar due to the soaring cost of rents.

The ‘van dwellers’ took advantage of a legal loophole, which meant that as long as their vehicle had a full tax and MOT, authorities were powerless to move them on.

Hundreds lined the streets near Clifton Down parkland in the city, causing fury among residents who accused them of urinating in their gardens and leaving a mess.

Last year, one van in Bristol was destroyed in a fire, leaving others arming themselves with weapons to protect their homes.

But now, after years of growing frustration and anger, Bristol City Council has ordered them out, leaving the battered and rotting caravans sitting empty on the roadsides.

The council was given an anti-social behaviour injunction, meaning it can now remove any lived-in and abandoned vehicles on certain roads. 

Some have moved on, but many of the vehicles are too dilapidated to drive and have been abandoned on the city’s streets. 

The council has vowed to help people move to ‘Meanwhile Sites’.

One van dweller who remained there yesterday said he was waiting for a tow from the council.

Martin Morgan, 39, who has lived in a caravan on the Downs for ‘four or five years’, said: ‘It’s stressful, all this is a nightmare.

‘I don’t see what the problem is. The ones that are left are actually the people who tidy up.

‘Most of the vans were abandoned, the ones they’ve taken over the last couple weeks were anyway.

‘I’m ready to go, I’ve made arrangements to get my van towed but nothing has happened yet.

‘We’re waiting to be taken to the meanwhile in Lockleaze.

‘I’m unfit for work at the moment so I’m on benefits. I have no choice but live here – I’ve fallen out with my family and split up with my ex.

‘The meanwhile site is my only choice, otherwise I’ll be homeless. I was homeless before and scraped enough together to get this van.

‘I’m scared to leave. My life is in there, if someone takes it away then I’m f***ed.

‘I would rather stay here out of necessity, and I really know the people. Some are stuck up and snobby – can you blame them? If I lived in a mansion I would not want to see this.’

Jaz Devereux, 24, said: ‘Why are you moving us? We’re causing no harm. I personally pick up all my rubbish. It’s often uni students’ rubbish, but it’s blamed on us.

‘The council have not been helpful and they have not offered me a spot at the meanwhile site. I have no idea where I am going to go, it’s very very stressful.’

Residents in Bristol who face the influx of van dwellers have become increasingly agitated, accusing those in the vans of suspected thefts, drug use and intimidation.

Vehicle dwellers have acknowledged there is a mixed group of people – ranging from professionals and academics to those with substance abuse – and that not everyone treats the area with respect. 

Last year the council had obtained only six injunctions in the six years prior for encampments in the city. 

Tony Nelson, who leads the ‘Protect the Downs’ group, who have campaigned for vehicles to be removed, objected to the idea of dwellers waiting to be taken away.

He said: ‘They can’t just turn round and say “oh the council haven’t given me loads of money and solved all my problems”.

‘These are grown-up people, they’re adults. They got themselves there, they can get themselves out.

‘I want to reiterate: the people that really need help can’t get it because a bunch of lifestylers have hidden them and obfuscated their problems. I think that’s a shame.

‘We’re very sorry you’ve had misfortune, but it doesn’t mean you can do this.

‘You’ve gotta sort yourself out pick yourself up get back out there.

‘It’s almost an act of social vandalism to be honest. Using a sob story to stop people questioning it slightly lacks moral courage frankly. It’s a sense of anarchy.

‘I’ve been told that of all the people on the Downs – it was up to around 140 at one point – only five have sought help from the council.

‘That just shows you what we’re dealing with. A very very small minority actually really need help.

‘The vast majority are there because it’s a lifestyle choice. We support lifestyle choices but don’t do it in family parks. And because they leave a lot of rubbish, it’s turning society against them.’

The council said that since their new policy launch, they have worked with almost 100 people, moving four onto meanwhile sites, four in with family or friends, one into a private rental, one into social housing and five into emergency accommodation.

Bristol, deemed the most expensive place to rent outside London, has seen a rapid rise in the number of vehicle dwellers since 2020.

The surge has been linked to fewer jobs and social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by a cost-of-living crisis and soaring rent prices in Bristol now reaching an average £1,756 per month.

Will, 30, previously told the Daily Mail he had moved to the area after spending time travelling in South America because he got a new job in property management – which he acknowledged felt ironic given his lifestyle.

Will, who previously worked in construction, has been living in a motorhome for six months – and yet he also owns a property in his home city of Plymouth which he lets out to lodgers.

He said: ‘The primary driver for living in a motorhome is down to the expense of renting.

‘I understand the issue is supply and demand and I hold no resentment towards landlords – the good ones are part of the solution not the problem.

‘I’m starting a new career and if I were to rent I’d end up negative each month. I’m in a fortunate situation and this is a stopgap for about a year until I can buy my own place.’

Will, who fitted solar panels to his vehicle, said: ‘I think it will be nice in summer but it’s a challenge during the winter. I have gas heating so it’s OK. We’ve also had smoke alarms dropped off and it feels safe.’

He said some people were initially concerned about his living conditions and safety but have got used to his choice.

Similar van dwelling sites have appeared in other parts of the country, including Glastonbury – famous for the music festival – in Somerset. 

While Glastonbury’s population of 7,000 is smaller than Bristol’s 450,000, it has a much higher proportion of people living in vehicles – 150, or 0.22 per cent of the population, compared to the bigger city’s 0.14 per cent.

It hosts a mixture of vehicle dwellers – a lifestyle choice for some, a necessity for others, but one which appears to bring increasing fears for the future.

Last year Jamie, 42, told the Mail he had been living in a caravan in the area for four years – while working at festivals during the summer, then events in winter.

Jamie, who studied leisure and tourism at college, was due to receive an annual wage for a traffic management job when Covid struck. He has been carrying out seasonal work since then but said he lives in a caravan through choice.

He said: ‘I wouldn’t want to live in a new-build, with central heating. I like an actual fire and to chop wood.’