A councillor has branded claims that a local authority invited “van dwellers” to stay on council-owned land as a “conspiracy theory” amid a months-long dispute.
Locals near Lanercost Road in Southmead have slammed Bristol City Council for not taking action against a group who took over a plot of land owned by the authority in January – and have been living there ever since.
Claims have been made by individuals in the site, alongside nearby residents, that Bristol City Council secretly gave the green light for the disused plot to be lived on.
Resident Ronda Golding said people within the community have had to deal with “a lot of issues with them banging at all hours of the night”, including the group loudly “revving their engines” and ordering takeaways to properties next door.
Locals have slammed Bristol City Council (pictured) for not taking action against a group who took over a plot of land owned by the authority in January
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Ms Golding said: “It’s just horrendous. They [Bristol City Council] wouldn’t want that on College Green, they’d go: ‘Oh no we have to move that’.”
College Green is the triangular grass verge in front of the council headquarters.
She added: “But they would put it next door to a vulnerable adults’ centre with dogs running around and foul language. The neighbours are furious.”
The local revealed she had sent the police “email after email” and was told by the members of the van-dwelling group that they had been re-located there by the council.
Individuals living on the plot told the BBC they had previously been squatting in their cars and vans, but had been secretly told by the city council to move in under a “tolerated site” approach.
Resident Ronda Golding said people within the community have had to deal with ‘a lot of issues with them banging at all hours of the night’ (file photo)
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Barry Parsons, the chairman of Bristol City Council’s housing committee, swatted away the claims as a “conspiracy theory”.
However, Mr Parsons said in March that “action is currently underway to remove the group from this unauthorised encampment”.
The local Labour Party branch, as far back as January, said: “Your councillors and the local police are aware of the van dwellers that have moved on to the empty land next to the Lanercost Centre.
“We are informed that this is an unauthorised encampment and that notice to leave will be served.”
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Mr Parsons told Radio Bristol on Monday that he acknowledged how “frustrating” the ordeal has been for the local community.
He added: “It can seem like nothing’s happening at all – I really want to reassure people that’s not true.”
The councillor also claimed the authority was involved in legal proceedings to remove the group from the site, before adding the disused plot could be used to build affordable housing in future.
The council recently wrote a letter to the Government pleading for greater powers and additional funds to address the rise in van dwelling in the south-western city
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Mr Parsons did not give a specific timeline as to when residents can expect the group to be moved on, as he did not “want to misinform people”.
He added that Bristol City Council was working “as quickly as we can”.
The council recently wrote a letter to the Government pleading for greater powers and additional funds to address the rise in van dwelling in the southwestern city.
A consultation on the council’s approach to tackling the issue is scheduled to begin on September 11.
According to a report by Bristol City Council last year, the number of vans in the city has quadrupled since 2020 – thrusting it into pole position as the UK’s “van dweller capital”.