HOMEOWNERS say their lives have become a “nightmare” after a huge caravan site sprang up beside their £350,000 newbuild homes.

Now furious residents fear the Green-run Bristol City Council will let the van dwellers stay legally by turning the site in Southmead into an official “Meanwhile Site”.

Sign up for The Jattvibe newsletter

Thank you!

Locals are fuming over council plans to turn an illegal traveller site into a permanent home for van dwellers Credit: SWNS

Neighbours branded the prospect of the site becoming legal a ‘nightmare’ Credit: SWNS

Locals living near the plot on Lanercost Road say they have been ignored by the council and fear the impact on their homes and quality of life.

Ronda Golding, 53, who has lived in the area her whole life, said: “I think it’s disgusting.

“The council don’t care about our views on anything. I have sent over 100 emails, and not one has been responded to… the council are glorifying van dwelling.”

Neighbour Joel Rodolpho, 54, said the situation had become so bad he was considering moving away with his family.

PARKING MAD!
Travellers take over B&Q car park with caravans & kids scaling displays

SITE SIEGE
Travellers tore up our beauty spot overnight like a planned military operation

Residents are blasting the Green-run council over their plans Credit: SWNS

The plot on Lanercost Road, currently occupied by van dwellers without authorisation, has become a source of unease in the community Credit: SWNS

The hospital worker said his young son had been woken during the night, while packages and takeaways meant for van dwellers were repeatedly arriving at his address.

He branded the prospect of a permanent legal site a “nightmare”.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: “How are they going to prove anti-social behaviour?

“It’s literally right next to a house without any real barrier. I feel really uncomfortable.

“I think that everyone has to have a place to live, but maybe they can put that outside a residential area.”

The managed “Meanwhile Sites” allow vehicle dwellers to stay legally with access to toilets, water and waste disposal.

But some residents accused the council of moving van dwellers out of wealthy parts of Bristol and into poorer areas like Southmead.

One objector said the scheme “seems a deceptive move to relocate van dwellers from the Downs in richer, more affluent areas of Bristol to poorer areas in Bristol, such as Southmead”.

Another added: “Why was Lanercost chosen? Because it is primarily social housing, so nobody cares.”

The row comes after Bristol City Council ordered hundreds of van dwellers to leave the affluent Clifton Downs area last week while offering some spaces at official Meanwhile Sites.

Labour councillors for Southmead, Kaz Self and Kye Dudd, said the issue had damaged trust among residents.

In a joint statement, they said: “The council has burned through a lot of residents’ goodwill by refusing to take their concerns about the unlawful encampment seriously and looking like it had encouraged the van dwellers to go there in the first place.”

They also described the council’s actions as “quite a bizarre contradiction” because legal action was being taken against the encampment while plans were also being drawn up to formalise the site.

Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the homes and housing delivery committee, defended the plans.

He said: “Meanwhile Sites are very different to unauthorised encampments, and neighbours have reported very few issues with official sites once open.

“This is largely because there is a regular presence on site, clear management and licensing rules.”