Latest news with #DurdhamDown
BBC News
13-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bristol City Council to seek injunction over Downs van dwellers
Bristol City Council says it is "taking proactive steps to apply for an injunction" to prevent people living in vans on a popular public green approved, the injunction would apply to the grassed areas of Durdham Down and would allow officers to move pitched vehicles off more of the vehicles currently on The Downs would be exempt as they are parked on adjacent Barry Parsons said he recognised the challenges an increase in van-dwellers had raised, and said the council was looking at solutions which worked for all parties. "Fundamentally we want to make sure that all communities, including those living in vehicles or caravans, and those in homes in neighbourhoods, have a meaningful and fair chance to live healthy and safe lives. "This means we need to take action on a number of fronts to make sure we are balancing the needs of everyone, whilst prioritising our efforts where the need is greatest," he said. A similar injunction, which expired last year, was previously in place in the in 2023, an injunction was imposed on people living in vehicles in Greenbank, east council estimates there are currently between 640 and 680 lived-in vehicles and caravans across the city, which does not include the number of transient Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups who visit Bristol throughout the local authority said it was "supporting those living in vehicles to remain healthy and safe and have the support needed to move into more settled accommodation".Its longer-term plan is to create up to 250 spaces for people living in vehicles on land which is due to be at the site would have access to facilities like running water and toilets, as well as health and wellbeing support, it Parsons, who is chair of the council's Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, said the ultimate goal was a "single policy, co-designed with communities and van dweller groups, reflective of the various challenges and views associated with this growing issue". Between 200 and 300 people gathered on The Downs on Thursday evening for a protest walk to "highlight the impact of council inaction on public wellbeing"."We're here to show our strength of feeling to the council that this is a situation that can't be allowed to continue," said one supporters of the van dwelling community were also in attendance."I feel like a lot of people here own their own homes and benefited from the post-war economy where you could be a postman and buy your own house or have a minimum wage job and get a mortgage - that dream has gone," said Matthew Strange."I wish some more people would understand the context by which these circumstances have arisen," he added.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bristol van-dweller attacks protester as tensions flare
A campaigner has been "attacked" as tensions continue to escalate with a van-dwelling community. During filming on Tuesday, a BBC camera was struck by a van-dweller as Tony Nelson, who founded a group calling for the vehicles to be removed, was interviewed. Mr Nelson had attempted to speak to a man living in a van at Durdham Down in Bristol, where around 107 vehicles are parked, believed to be one of the largest van-dwelling sites in the man accused Mr Nelson of spreading "hate and violence" against van-dwellers, and said the two groups were "well past talking to each other" before reportedly pushing him. Faced with soaring rental prices, another van-dweller told BBC News he had no choice but to live in his vehicle and said they were not harming some residents say they are now too scared to go out at night and have complained about increased has been living in a van on the Downs for nine a house share with friends ended, he said he did not have enough money to put down a deposit on a rental flat and was "lucky" to find the when residents in the area formed a group calling for van-dwellers to be removed from the area, Callum said it had "an emotional effect"."As much as I kind of see their side, it's a lot of weight on us. "People are tooting their horns, revving their engines. If this was your home, would you want someone to come and disturb your sleep and your life in that way?"It would be nice if they just left us alone, if we're not doing any direct harm to anyone up here, I don't see why we shouldn't be allowed to stay," he rent-free had allowed Callum to drop down his hours working in hospitality and retrain as a joiner, he now he has a new job, he said he and his partner were looking for a is one of 107 vehicle dwellers who Bristol City Council estimates live on the Downs. Mr Nelson, who founded the Facebook group Protect the Downs, believes living in a van had become a "lifestyle choice".His group, which has nearly 2,000 members, has called for the council to use its powers to remove vans and those living in them. Mr Nelson said: "People really feel very strongly about the council's inaction, their permissiveness, their saying 'it's OK to come and trash our parks'. "People are fed up with that. I don't know if it's council incompetence or whatever."He wants the council to help those who need it, and move others on. Bristol City Council (BCC) said it was choosing not to move people on as this would simply result in "moving people from one part of the city to the other"."Every inch of this city is important and special to somebody", said councillor Barry Parsons, who chairs the Homes and Housing Delivery council has previously shut down other encampments - once they were deemed to have had too great an impact on the News was told the current impact on the Downs was assessed to be at a "medium" level, which meant it did not meet the threshold for intervention. Nevertheless, Mr Parsons said it was "unfair" to claim the council had done nothing, as it had developed a new policy that will be in place "by the end of the year"."I can understand why people are feeling anxious and frustrated. "We're trying to do something really new, that hasn't been tried before, here or anywhere else in the country", he are proposals to provide kerbside "service sites", where people living in vans could dispose of waste and get access to water, as well as plans to open more "meanwhile sites", where people can live in their vans and be provided with basic council currently has around 60 such pitches, with a new site due to open soon. But there is already a waiting list for several councillors raised concerns about the pace at which change seemed to be happening, acknowledging people needed to see improvements up on the Downs, among people living in vans, and those living beside them, patience is wearing thin.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sheep brought in to maintain ancient Bristol Downs grazing rights
A flock of sheep has been enjoying one of Bristol's popular open spaces for the day to help keep an historic grazing law ewes and three lambs joined primary school children and residents on Durdham Down so that local groups and householders could exercise their rights to graze their sheep on the to the Downs Act of 1861, commoners must tether at least one sheep for one day every five years to keep the privileges Stevens, from Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project, said: "There's always been a bit of mystery about exactly how often it has to be done - however we go with every five years because it's easy to remember." Nearly 450 acres of open grassland was bought by the Society of Merchant Venturers (SMV) and the city council between 1700 and 1860, according to Robert Bournes from the SMV."The Merchant Venturers bought what was called the Manor of Clifton and the city council bought the Manor of Henbury and they're alongside each other here on the Downs," he said."In 1861 [they] decided to put their resources together under the Downs Act - to look after the Downs for the benefit of the people of Bristol." Under the act, 13 groups or individuals who have property bordering the Downs have the right to let loose up to 1,885 sheep on the include the University of Bristol Botanic Gardens, Badminton School, Trinity College, St Monica Trust as well as individual hundreds of sheep were grazed on the Downs and up until 1925 a full-time shepherd was employed to look after as the volume of motor traffic increased it started putting livestock at risk and the flocks were removed. Shepherdess Melinda Baker, who travelled up to Bristol from Somerset with her small flock of sheep, said it was a "historical right of commoners"."The sheep look very fitting here," she said."Unfortunately in modern-day life, we can't have them here free ranging, but in a pen for today it's just perfect." 'Stepping in poo' In a bid to keep the medieval rights of pasturage alive, the flock of of black Welsh mountain sheep were joined by more than 80 children from local Ted, said the school trip to the Downs had been "very cool"."We've been exploring the place and some people have been feeding the lambs and sheep," he said."[The sheep] are very clumsy and we keep stepping in their poo and everyone finds it very disgusting."
