Council to move van dwellers in Bristol over public health concerns
Enforcement teams find several sites on the Downs being used as 'organised toilet facilities'
Last updated 18th Nov 2025
Bristol City Council has announced plans to move people living in vans on the Downs after enforcement teams found several sites being used as 'organised toilet facilities'.
The local authority said it had uncovered evidence of regular use, including the presence of water bottles and tissues.
The Council added that the latest evidence has lead them to classify a growing number of lived-in vehicles around the Downs as ‘high impact’.
Cllr Barry Parsons and Cllr Stephen Williams issued a statement:
"Quite simply, this is not acceptable and presents a significant public health issue.
"We have taken some immediate actions to mitigate these initial public health risks. Bristol Waste have been on site to clear the affected areas and will return regularly to remove any further waste, and we are looking at what additional measures we can take in the short term. I would like to thank them for carrying out what must be a very unpleasant job.
"However, we appreciate this is not a long-term solution, and we are currently working on an enforcement plan to begin to move the group of lived in vehicles from the Downs.
"We appreciate that moving such a large group is not going to be an easy task, and will require a lot of coordination, but we cannot allow a public health risk to continue."
The issue of van-dwellings on the Downs has become increasingly divisive, with action groups calling for tougher measures to remove dwellings, with others linking the issue to growing waiting lists for social housing.