Overview
- The site around the Downs was designated a 'high impact' location after enforcement officers reported several areas being used as organised toilet facilities posing a public health risk.
- Officials estimate 100 to 150 lived‑in vehicles are parked around the parkland, making it one of the largest van‑dwelling communities in the UK.
- The council says it is drawing up an enforcement plan to relocate vehicles, with legal pressure from residents’ group Protect The Downs and challenges from housing campaigners shaping next steps.
- Bristol Waste is conducting repeated clean‑ups and the council reports removing abandoned vehicles and carrying out an eviction at Peter’s Terrace in Barton Hill, while two outreach workers begin engagement with the most vulnerable.
- The authority plans to expand its 'Meanwhile Site' pitches from roughly 67 to about 250 by the end of March 2026, though limited current capacity and pitch fees constrain immediate alternatives.