What are the 'meanwhile' sites for van-dwellers in Bristol?
BBCA new site for people living in vehicles is opening in Bristol, providing 14 pitches.
Bristol City Council is creating so-called meanwhile sites on derelict land earmarked for development as it tries to find alternatives for hundreds of van-dwellers living on kerbsides across the city.
The latest pitches in Lockleaze open this week. When a further site launches in the same area in the new year, the total number of spaces across the city will be 98.
Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the homes and housing delivery committee, said the council was a "pioneer" in its approach to van-dwellers. It is thought to be the only local authority in the country to be using empty land in this way.
The Lockleaze site is due to be used for new housing in the future, but in the meantime it will have 14 pitches for vehicle-dwellers.
Spaces have been allocated to those assessed as being most in need, according to the council. About 90 van-dwellers remain on the waiting list.
What is a meanwhile site?
The sites get their name because they are due to be developed in the future but can be used meanwhile by vehicle-dwellers. But why are they being created?
There are more than 600 people living in vehicles around Bristol and while the council cannot stop people living in vehicles, it can try to regulate where they park.
The authority has recently started taking steps to move on the biggest group of vehicles, which had amassed over several years around the Downs.
However, many people say they have nowhere else to go and so may end up simply moving to a kerbside in a different part of the city.
These meanwhile sites aim to avoid this by providing an alternative space.
The first meanwhile site opened in Bristol during Covid and the latest one in Lockleaze brings the total to six. All are full, with a waiting list in operation.
Council chiefs want to have 250 meanwhile pitches available by early-April and is trying to secure planning permission for four further sites at Western Drive and Albatross Road in Hengrove, Lanercost Road in Southmead and Tramways in Brislington.
Mr Parsons described the sites as "fairly basic" but said they provided everything that people need - including toilets, water and bins.
To qualify for a pitch, people must apply online and prove a local connection to Bristol.
Successful applicants will then have to pay £31.50 per week for their pitch, as well as Band A council tax - which is set at £1,722.60 for 2025-26.
The council said it has tried to choose sites which can be used for at least 18 months, with the aim of providing a secure and stable base for people as they plan their next steps.
Are they safe?
The council described its meanwhile sites as safe and well-managed, adding it had received a "handful" of complaints in the five years since the first one opened.
"We're very confident that these sites are safe, they're pleasant places to live, and they're very much a step up from living on the kerbside," Mr Parsons said.
What if I live near one?
People living close to potential meanwhile sites will likely find out about them as part of the planning process.
The council suggested it can be better for residents when land is being used, rather than living next to a derelict, unmonitored site.
Will it stop people living in vehicles?
Despite the "ambitious" target, Mr Parsons admits: "It doesn't mean we'll have a pitch for everybody."
However, he said he hoped numbers will reduce as people are helped to move on from living in a vehicle.
The council is in the process of adopting a policy for vehicle-dwellers which is likely to come into full effect in April.
It aims to offer "proactive support" to people living on the roadside for three months. If after that time they are "not engaging" or "not eligible", enforcement action will be taken.
It is unclear what would happen if a vehicle dweller was on the waiting list for a meanwhile site, but a space could not be offered. The policy says this would be managed "on a case-by-case basis".
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