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The Kingswear Road meanwhile site in Knowle West(Image: Rich (surname withheld))<\/p>\nAn engineer who stayed at a couple of meanwhile sites has spoken out about his terrible experience (Warning: article contains graphic images)The Kingswear Road meanwhile site in Knowle West(Image: Rich (surname withheld))<\/p>\n
Safety fears have shrouded the so-called \u201cmeanwhile sites\u201d where an exodus of people living in caravans on the Downs could soon be sent to. Claims have emerged on one meanwhile site of bullying, harassment, a dog bite and a knife attack, with scant support from the site\u2019s managers.<\/p>\n
Bristol City Council<\/a> is planning to increase the number of pitches on meanwhile sites, which are similar to small caravan parks. People currently living in vans on the Downs could next year be encouraged to relocate to these sites instead<\/a>, as there is running water and toilets provided for a small fee. Leading councillors have said these are safer than staying on the side of the road.<\/p>\n These claims have prompted a previous tenant of two meanwhile sites in Bristol to speak out with his experience of staying there. Rich, who asked not to include his surname, stayed at the Kingswear Road site in Knowle<\/a> West and the New Fosseway Road site in Hengrove<\/a> in 2022. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he questioned the council\u2019s safety claims.<\/p>\n Rich said: \u201cIf the management of the sites are not willing to enforce rules, evict aggressive people, and defend vulnerable people, then it\u2019s just a wild west with a padlock on the front. Why would people give up the plush safe environment of the Downs for a wild west hellhole with no management?\u201d<\/p>\n In response, the council said that all meanwhile sites operate under clear rules which are consistently enforced, such as keeping dogs on leads at all times. Few formal complaints are made and issues tend to be resolved quickly.<\/p>\n Three and a half years ago Rich had just finished studying in North Wales and moved onto the New Fosseway Road meanwhile site. Six months later he claims he was \u201cexhausted, bitten, stabbed and fleeing back to North Wales\u201d. When first arriving, he said dogs were off the lead, in breach of the council\u2019s rules, barking and getting aggressive.<\/p>\n Warning: Graphic image below<\/strong><\/p>\n After staying one night he was asked to relocate to a second meanwhile site, as one of the existing tenant\u2019s dogs \u201cdidn\u2019t like mine and he was there first\u201d. Rich added: \u201cI asked about the dogs on lead policy and was told it was rarely enforced\u201d. He then moved onto the Kingswear Road site on the Northern Slopes, with a spectacular view of the city, but more issues with dogs.<\/p>\n Meanwhile sites are set up by the council on empty plots of land, usually before housing is built there. They have pitches for caravans, as well as toilets, bins and running water, and provide an alternative to people living in vans by the kerbside. The council is encouraging people living in vans to relocate towards these sites, after complaints from many people living near the Downs.<\/p>\n Rich said: \u201cAs soon as I moved onto the pitch I started getting issues with Uzileka, a Romanian sheepdog, coming onto my pitch and attacking my dog. Uzileka would spend its time roaming the grounds and going to the toilet everywhere, barking at locals passing the fence and attacking my dog.<\/p>\n \u201cI took on a new engineering job and felt like I\u2019d got back to Bristol and could soon reintegrate into the city. On the weekend of my first payday I was sitting on my pitch with others looking over Bristol and thinking about how beautiful a city it was. Out of the dark Uzileka ran up to my dog and started attacking him again. I ran down to separate the two and my dog Jack was locked onto Uzileka\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n \u201cI held both their collars waiting for the right time to pull them apart but felt a push from a chap that had come over and misinterpreted the situation. As I turned to explain the situation to him I lost focus and turned to see the sheepdog\u2019s three-inch tooth piercing my wrist. It bounced off the part that keeps the tendons in one place and poked out the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Screenshot_20251204-163609.png\")
The aftermath of the dog bite(Image: Rich (surname withheld))<\/p>\n
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Dog poo smeared on a padlock on the front gate of the site(Image: Rich (surname withheld))<\/p>\n