BBC News - Fear and loathing over van dwellers

[G1969]

This does not help the motorhome hobby/ lifestyle , I can see why councils are getting more and more adverse to Aires etc.

BBC News - Fear and loathing over van dwellers on Bristol's leafy streets

Bristol van dwellers: Fear and loathing on Clifton's leafy streets

A suburban culture clash is playing out - and as tempers flare, there are no easy solutions.

www.bbc.com

 

[Wh05apk]

Thought the van dweller on there was a pratt, admits he will carry on living there regardless! Maybe they should start charging him council tax, I bet he would move then!

Also concerns me what happens to all of the grey and black waste?

 

[Tonks]

Read this earlier and I totally sympathise with the residents. If people were there for a night or two, tidy and respectful, then I wouldn’t have an issue. (As used to happen, it seems.) But lots of these vans look like slums, and people (however tidy their units) can’t just move in to an area and stay long term and not expect the locals to be pissed off. Especially when there are so many vehicles there.
I would be exceptionally knarked if a load of van dwellers plonked themselves near to my home for months on end.

 

[chaser]

Thought the van dweller on there was a pratt, admits he will carry on living there regardless! Maybe they should start charging him council tax, I bet he would move then!

Also concerns me what happens to all of the grey and black waste?

Exactly what I thought, allegedly 100 vans permanently there, where do all the toilets get emptied, and where do they get water and electric from?

 

[TheMobileWanderer]

Councils and planners could fix this. We already have in practice, the concept of zoned land. Industrial estates are separate from residential. So to are small enterprise units. If they created land which was zoned for caravans and separately, land zoned for motohomes, they could take the lead and use that leadership to draw people to such zoned land. Long-term usage needs to be separated from leisure/temporary dwellers. However if councils got off their seat this wouldn't be a problem because (relative to that article), caravans would move to the better-serviced place.

Similar vein; I recall a friend of mine and his GF on his Pan-European motorbike being refused accommodation because he was down at heel simply because he was on a motorbike. He was anything but that. His leathers cost more than the B&B owners family car. The bike was brand new. Always was. Changed every six months.

Perceptions are ridiculous. For some they represent fact. Fact is, they don't.

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[Gellyneck]

If the photos are current some of them appear to be in contravention of caravan parking regulations in that they should be parked with the rear reflectors facing the direction of the oncoming traffic on their side of the road.

 

[Clivefog]

They park how they want, many in disrepair. Along a road that bisects the common land and in line of view of many grand villas. No doubt a nice place to park up, no doubt an eyesore, been going on for several years and no doubt having an adverse affect on house prices.

 

[Northernraider]

This does not help the motorhome hobby/ lifestyle , I can see why councils are getting more and more adverse to Aires etc.

BBC News - Fear and loathing over van dwellers on Bristol's leafy streets

Bristol van dwellers: Fear and loathing on Clifton's leafy streets

A suburban culture clash is playing out - and as tempers flare, there are no easy solutions.

www.bbc.com

I don't think they care about the motorhome lifestyle. Many are homeless and live in those tatty old vans and caravans through force not choice

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Circumstances may well play a part in their lifestyle, but creating a fervella in a respectfull neighbourhood is a choice and one they could easily control themselves. Entitled F.Ws.
Mike.

 

[Northernraider]

They park how they want, many in disrepair. Along a road that bisects the common land and in line of view of many grand villas. No doubt a nice place to park up, no doubt an eyesore, been going on for several years and no doubt having an adverse affect on house prices.

According to the article the house prices are soaring hence the large homeless problem.

They're not doing anything that the travelling community hasn't done for centuries although they look a bit tidier.

Sure there are a few caravans in that video that are complete wrecks conveniently those were the ones they focused on ...left there from evictions according to the article. The dumping of waste etc I always take with a pinch of salt as often it goes unproven or is simply used to put weight and public backing behind the complaints.

I choose to be a vanlifer , I'm privileged really but many of those are not , theyre homeless and its better than a doorway etc. There is also probably a lot of mental health issues.

It isn't a life to be envied...I expect the winters are very hard. If it was big new fancy caravans people would argue they could afford to pay for sites etc . Most of those vans are only worth a few hundred quid at best.

Yes there are some vanlife ,caravan dwellers who aren't the best but then they are far outnumbered by the council estate lowlifes etc.


And of course we could add the most land was stolen or simply claimed at one point ...there's nowhere in the UK now that doesn't allegedly belong to someone .


There but for the grace of ( enter your choice of imaginary diety) go I as they say.

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[Northernraider]

Circumstances may well play a part in their lifestyle, but creating a fervella in a respectfull neighbourhood is a choice and one they could easily control themselves. Entitled F.Ws.
Mike.

I don't think they care about the highly privileged mansion dwellers either.. but the large open green area next to where they're parked has an appeal.

But people ALWAYS side with the wealthy over the poor despite the world's problems being caused by the wealthy and not by the poor

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

I don't think they care about the highly privileged mansion dwellers either.. but the large open green area next to where they're parked has an appeal.

But people ALWAYS side with the wealthy over the poor despite the world's problems being caused by the wealthy and not by the poor

Not exactly helping their cause are they, poor or not.

 

[Northernraider]

Not exactly helping their cause are they, poor or not.

And how do you think they do that?

If they ain't got money or choices what do you suggest ?

 

[Northernraider]

Someone should just call a meeting with all the van folk and suggest they simply stop being poor and homeless.

That'll fix it .

 

[two]

The Council might be able to move them on by making the roads 'no parking', ie painting double yellow lines along both sides, or making it permit parking only. Otherwise it seems, to me, they have every right to park their vans there, just as much as the next citizen. Forcing them off is unlikely to be a successful result: they will just resent authority even more. We should try to understand their situation and look for an agreeable solution for both residents and itinerants. The problem is likely to get worse until a better solution is found. Sweeping it under the carpet (moving them on) won't make it go away.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Someone should just call a meeting with all the van folk and suggest they simply stop being poor and homeless.

That'll fix it .

Even if poor by circumstance, or indeed " choosing" to be poor, their is no excuse for living in filth or squalor, and believing that doing so without alienating those established communities around is just plain ignorant. I defy anyone to say "No it's fine, they can come and live alongside me any time they choose"!! Unless you'd like to prove me wrong of course.
Mike.

 

[Carpmart]

It’s a can that has been kicked down the road for quite a few years now!

Many of these caravan dwellers must have a pretty crap existence… hardly living the ‘insta’ life are they!

It’s not an issue unique to the UK or other ‘Western’ nations. Go to many Californian cities and you’d be amazed at the homeless and ‘van lifers’ living in truck, car, old RV and cars. Drive from LAX downtown and you can’t miss it! San Francisco is similar… was quite depressed by the whole thing last time I was in LA and San Fran TBH!

Back to the UK, there has to be a solution that differentiates between leisure users, van lifers (in all their forms) and travellers which satisfies everyone!

 

[Northernraider]

Even if poor by circumstance, or indeed " choosing" to be poor, their is no excuse for living in filth or squalor, and believing that doing so without alienating those established communities around is just plain ignorant. I defy anyone to say "No it's fine, they can come and live alongside me any time they choose"!! Unless you'd like to prove me wrong of course.
Mike.

You should run for parliament... most likely the Conservative party.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

I understand that a few just work the festival's Glastonbury ect so come and go not permanent.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

You should run for parliament... most likely the Conservative party.

Wash your mouth out with carbolic soap. Surrey doesn't always equate to being a Tory, some of us had to keep them in the land of plenty.
Mike.

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[Northernraider]

Wash your mouth out with carbolic soap. Surrey doesn't always equate to being a Tory, some of us had to keep them in the land of plenty.
Mike.

Well its just by your opinion that there's no excuse for being poor that aligns perfectly with the likes of Reese mogg and that crazy woman with the immigrant parents who wanted to stop immigrants.


It's all very well saying there's no excuse for living in squalor if you've never been in that situation.

I guarantee living in those old caravans year round is no party . But if their alternative is a doorway.

The guy with the pink shirt reeks of entitlement but I guarantee he's in the minority of the folk there.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Well its just by your opinion that there's no excuse for being poor that aligns perfectly with the likes of Reese mogg and that crazy woman with the immigrant parents who wanted to stop immigrants.


It's all very well saying there's no excuse for living in squalor if you've never been in that situation.

I guarantee living in those old caravans year round is no party . But if their alternative is a doorway.

The guy with the pink shirt reeks of entitlement but I guarantee he's in the minority of the folk there.

I perfectly understand people being down on their luck and or poor,yes we have those in Surrey as well. My disagreement is the almost deliberate act of turning a well kept suburb into a hovel thumbing their noses at the "well heeled" locals in an act of spite.
Mike.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

I was always under the impression that if a caravan is parked on a public road, it must be attached to a towing vehicle for it to be legal, ie
It cannot be left on the road unhitched.
But I could well be wrong.
Having read the entire article on the BBC pages, I was again under the impression that this problem was mainly being caused by Caravans and NOT motorhomes.
Also, it appeared that there were efforts trying to be made to find a permanent place for these 'vans' to go to, but that so far this had been met by further local opposition.
BBC headline is very misleading with the word 'vans'.

 

[Rog NotJane]

Poor reporting by the BBC. This is designed to make people angry especially the guy in the pink shirt (and exactly the response they want is happening in this thread) but he’s probably not representative of most people in this situation. I would expect that they’re poor and congregating to have some sort of community.

Shame on Bristol for not being more supportive but more on the BBC for acting like the daily mail.

I perfectly understand people being down on their luck and or poor,yes we have those in Surrey as well

You maybe want to rephrase that, it kind of sounds like you have a zoo

 

[Northernraider]

I perfectly understand people being down on their luck and or poor,yes we have those in Surrey as well. My disagreement is the almost deliberate act of turning a well kept suburb into a hovel thumbing their noses at the "well heeled" locals in an act of spite.
Mike.

But they aren't. Did you read the article or just watch the video? The guy in the pink shirt they deliberately filmed was done to undermine the issue .


The same way there's programs on telly like benefit street or tattoo disasters etc .

It riles people up

You've got to look past that .. you'll also notice in the article the guy who runs the Facebook page is a newcomer and the other residents they interviewed also recently moved to the area . Many of the caravan dwellers have been there longer

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[Barti Ddu]

Having overnighted on Bristol Downs on numerous occasions I can categorically state that the pink-shirted guy being interviewed by the BBC is not typical of the community of van and caravan dwellers up there.

I've previously given my thoughts on here -

Post in thread 'Bristol: van-dweller capital of UK' https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/bristol-van-dweller-capital-of-uk.300586/post-6077410

As Carpmart says, it's a complex problem, but one that shouldn't be beyond the whit of the local authority to attempt to resolve. There needs to be some way of accommodating them.

 

[Carpmart]

But they aren't. Did you read the article or just watch the video? The guy in the pink shirt they deliberately filmed was done to undermine the issue .


The same way there's programs on telly like benefit street or tattoo disasters etc .

It riles people up

You've got to look past that .. you'll also notice in the article the guy who runs the Facebook page is a newcomer and the other residents they interviewed also recently moved to the area . Many of the caravan dwellers have been there longer

Couldn’t agree more… reminds me of these people that buy their ‘perfect property’ 1500m from a motor racing circuit then petition for noise restraints as it’s ruining their enjoyment of their home… erm you complete twat… there has been a circuit there for 50 years and your solicitor will have pointed it out on the searches… beyond belief.

 

[Northernraider]

I was always under the impression that if a caravan is parked on a public road, it must be attached to a towing vehicle for it to be legal, ie
It cannot be left on the road unhitched.
But I could well be wrong.
Having read the entire article on the BBC pages, I was again under the impression that this problem was mainly being caused by Caravans and NOT motorhomes.
Also, it appeared that there were efforts trying to be made to find a permanent place for these 'vans' to go to, but that so far this had been met by further local opposition.
BBC headline is very misleading with the word 'vans'.

It isn't correct .. when I had caravans I lived in a house with no driveway... my caravan was parked on the road, I enquired to the council before buying it what the situation was and I eas told as long as it did not cause an obstruction it was legal to park it on the roadside. Same with trailers. And as uk has no registration system for trailers or caravans it would be difficult to identify owners of those ones. Many of them probably don't even have cars or indeed a license

 

[two]

There is a very similar problem on the inland waterways.
It saddens me that those who use the water (or highway) for pleasure seem so intolerant of those who are just trying to survive on them. I don't see a big difference between those who wild camp occasionally and those for whom it's their way of life.

 

[Barti Ddu]

It isn't correct .. when I had caravans I lived in a house with no driveway... my caravan was parked on the road, I enquired to the council before buying it what the situation was and I eas told as long as it did not cause an obstruction it was legal to park it on the roadside. Same with trailers. And as uk has no registration system for trailers or caravans it would be difficult to identify owners of those ones. Many of them probably don't even have cars or indeed a license

From speaking with some of the Bristol caravan dwellers, a significant problem was ensuring that their caravan wasn't removed by the council when they left it unoccupied under "abandoned vehicle" legislation, particularly as they are unregistered/ unidentifiable, and there wasn't an associated tow car. When they went out they placed big signs in the windows saying, "This caravan is not abandoned. This is my home ". The caravans are often worthless wrecks (but undoubtedly better than sleeping in a tent or a shop doorway). I suspect from some of the newly published photos, that over time some have now been abandoned as no longer habitable. These are clearly now inflaming the issue.

It's a complex problem that is largely resultant from young people being priced out of housing, plus vulnerable people with mental health needs that aren't being addressed.

Someone mentioned the similar situation in the US earlier on this thread. Anyone who thinks that urban vehicle dwelling is largely driven by entitled influencers choosing this lifestyle should watch the award winning film Nomadland which is a semi-fictionalised docu-drama about American vehicle dwellers from 4 or 5 years ago. It may alter your perception.

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