Policy for Managing Vehicle Dwelling consultation
Policy context
The number of people living in vehicles across Bristol has significantly increased since 2019. This creates a range of social, public health, and environmental challenges for the city and people living this way.
Vehicle dwelling has complex and varied causes, including:
- affordability of housing
- economic hardship
- health issues
- alternative lifestyles
As numbers have grown, we have seen an increasing impact on:
- health and safety of people living in vehicles
- access to public spaces, obstruction of roads
- community cohesion
Many people living in vehicles experience:
- poor mental and physical health
- limited access to sanitation
- barriers to services, and stigma
Concerns are also created for the wider community and partner agencies regarding:
- anti-social behaviour
- public health risks
- environmental waste
- access to and enjoyment of parks and green spaces
- road safety
Bristol City Council does not recognise unauthorised people or groups of people living on highways or council-owned land (without consent) as a sustainable or safe way of living, or a housing solution. The significant rise in the number of people living this way in Bristol reflects a broader national housing crisis that has left many unable to access secure, affordable accommodation, which cannot be fully addressed locally.
The pdf Policy for Managing Vehicle Dwelling(1.18 MB) has been developed based on the following principles.
Respect and inclusion
Respect for the rights of all Bristol citizens, both vehicle dwellers and other residents. We recognise that vehicle dwellers are not a homogenous group. They include:
- working professionals
- families
- older people
- cultural travellers
- individuals experiencing poverty or trauma
Support throughout
Proactive multi-agency outreach will seek to address needs early, with a focus on health and finding routes into secure accommodation.
Fair enforcement
Enforcement action when moving people living in vehicles off Bristol highways or council-owned land will be:
- consistent
- impartial
- evidence-based
Welfare, safeguarding assessments and support will also be available before, during, and after any enforcement action is taken by the council.
Safe alternatives
Expanding our provision of temporary Meanwhile Sites to provide safe, managed spaces with basic amenities and support for people living in vehicles.
Participation
We support the involvement of the following groups in policy design and review:
- people with lived experience of living in vehicles
- the settled community
Policy scope
This policy applies to individuals and households living in vehicles located on a highway in Bristol or on any Bristol City Council-owned land without permission. This is regardless of the type of vehicle or reason for living in the vehicle.
This policy does not apply to:
- Individuals and households living in vehicles on private land in Bristol
- Vehicles that are abandoned. Abandoned vehicles will be managed separately under established highways procedures and abandonment protocols.
Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities living in vehicles are supported under statutory guidance due to their recognised ethnic identities. The delivery of this policy will be carried out with due regard to their rights, needs, and the council’s duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty. Where members of the GRT community are identified within other groups of people living in vehicles, the council’s GRT Team will lead our engagement response in accordance with their policies and protocols.
Consultation feedback
You said
The Responding to People Living in Vehicles 2026-2031 policy consultation took place between 11 September and 23 October 2025.
There were 3,219 responses to the consultation. The Responding to People Living in Vehicles 2026-2031 consultation report summarises the public consultation feedback.
We Did
The consultation feedback was used to inform the following decisions. Some feedback from the consultation will be used in service design and delivery, namely Meanwhile Site provision, welfare offer and housing support.
Time to enforcement
The draft policy stated that where immediate action is not taken, a period of up to 3-months will begin from the date of the initial assessment. 3 months is the same period the council use for groups of rough sleepers on council-owned land.
The consultation asked questions about the length of this period. Overall, more respondents disagreed with the 3-month timescale than agreed (41% agree vs 45% disagree). The majority of vehicle dwellers disagreed with 3-month timescale. Concerns raised that 3 months is too long (recognising that legal enforcement will take time). There were also concerns raised that 3 months wasn’t long enough or that there should be no time limit.
Officers considered the feedback and recommended the following actions:
- Officers recommended that 3 months would remain as this is in line with our Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Encampment on Council Land Policy.
- Clarified the policy to reflect that after three months, legal enforcement will begin and will take additional time.
- Clarified in the draft policy that the approach outlined in the policy wouldn’t ‘reset’ if a person living in a vehicle who was enforced against, moved elsewhere in the city. i.e. the three month ‘clock’ would not restart, and immediate action would be taken.
Sensitive Locations
The majority of respondents agreed with the proposed sensitive locations and advocated for the inclusion of the Downs, vulnerable people’s accommodation and ‘all roads’ in Bristol. Some respondents raised concerns about the stigma the policy was attaching to vehicle dweller by ‘barring’ them from certain locations.
Officers considered the feedback and sensitive locations and made the following decisions:
- Not to include ‘all roads’ as this would be difficult to enforce and create significant resource requirements.
- Not to include ‘the Downs’ as this would be covered under ‘parks and green spaces’.
- Not to include vulnerable people’s accommodation as this would fall under proximity to residential properties.
- In conversation with our Highways team, we agreed to update how the policy talks about obstruction of highways to be more concise.
- Added clarity on why a sensitive location is a sensitive location to remove stigma.
Locations are identified as sensitive if vehicle dwelling in the vicinity may increase risks related to public health, safety, environmental health, amenity, or access. Sensitive locations are areas where:
- There is high public use and road safety considerations: the presence of large vehicles may cause obstructions, limit visibility, and reduce manoeuvrability, which can affect public safety.
- There are expectations of cleanliness, security, and amenity: locations where a clean and safe environment is anticipated.
- Access and operational viability will be affected: such as through causing obstructions, undermining operational practicality, blocking junctions, or preventing highway maintenance.
Meanwhile Site provision
Concerns were raised by both the settled community and people living in vehicles about what would happen to enforcement activity if a person living in a vehicle was engaging with the offer of resettlement but there was no available Meanwhile Site or alternative provision available.
Officers considered feedback and recommended the following revisions to the draft policy:
- That the draft policy includes a statement that enforcement timeline would be paused if there is a realistic chance a meanwhile pitch will become available in the immediate future.
Decision
The policy for Responding to People Living in Vehicles 2026-2031 was approved at the Homes and Housing Delivery Policy Committee on Friday 19 December 2025.
Key dates
- Start date: 11 September 2025
- End date: 23 October 2025