Residents in Boscombe and Southbourne, Dorset, are frustrated with van dwellers who have parked for extended periods, causing issues like blocked pavements and alleged anti-social behavior. A petition has gathered over 1,600 signatures demanding action from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which residents claim is not addressing the problem adequately despite numerous complaints. Local resident Kate Turner asserts that the council's recent "Van Life Listening Enquiry" with only 16 survey responses does not reflect the severity of the situation affecting hundreds of local residents.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Furious residents have accused van dwellers of turning their seaside town into an 'unregulated campsite' after a local council allowed them to pitch up for months on end.
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them → accuse → end
Homeowners on a clifftop road near a local beauty spot claim they are being 'totally gaslit' by their local council, having repeatedly called on officials to take action.
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they → claim → action
They say that the dozens of motorhomes and camper vans have blighted the area of Boscombe and Southbourne with anti-social behaviour.
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dozens → say → behaviour
The residents claim van owners have blocked pavements with awnings and chairs spread out while drivers struggle to see sight lines as they pull out of side roads.
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they → claim → roads
They also claim a children's park is unusable due to human faeces being allegedly dumped by the van dwellers.
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park → claim → dwellers
Despite the raft of complaints, the locals claim Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council continues to deny there is a problem.
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Council → claim → complaints
A recent residents' meeting saw more than 100 people attend to vent their anger towards authorities.
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people → see → authorities
A petition has gathered over 1,600 signatures calling on the authorities to carry out proper enforcement and introduce restrictions to prevent overnight parking in the location.
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petition → gather → location
Motorhomes parked up on the cliff-top road towards a beauty spot in Bournemouth, Dorset
Residents of Southbourne have accused the vans of turning the area into a 'campsite'
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Residents → park → campsite
A tongue-in-cheek banner has been put up by angry residents after a lack of action by the council
Local resident Kate Turner said they have reported so many issues to the council but each time get told there is no problem.
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they → put → council
Things reached a head earlier this month with a council meeting she called a 'complete farce'.
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she → reach → meeting
Officials had carried out a 'Van Life Listening Enquiry' to establish the needs of the van dwellers.
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Officials → carry → dwellers
But the public survey received only 16 responses and the first listening session attracted just five people.
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session → receive → people
But Ms Turner claimed the Liberal Democrat-run council is using that data to determine what to do going forward.
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council → claim → what
She said: 'The residents are pretty fed up of having to prove there is an issue.
'
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residents → say → ?
We send report after report in and the council keeps telling us there isn't a problem.
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council → send → us
We are being totally gaslit as they have it on public record that there is a problem.
'
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they → gaslit → record
Our main concern is that what is going on is not safe.
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going → go → ?
Shelley Park play area is not fit for children to play.
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children → play → ?
'Clothes lines have been set up, fires of burnt rubbish and even toilets left behind.'
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lines → set → rubbish
Ms Turner said the vans are an 'accident waiting to happen', saying they are a 'fire risk' due to their close proximity to one another.
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they → say → one
She said the issue first began when the council changed parking restrictions on the clifftop road in 2019.
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council → say → 2019
A notice from the council has warned people not to use dog litter bins for human waste
Pictured: A van on the road complete with camping supplies and wood for a fire
Piles of litter have been found on paths and verges near the motorhomes and caravans
But having known about the issue 'for years' since, they have yet to act, she claims.
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she → warn → years
'Now the sheer volume that is parking up is untenable,' Ms Turner added.
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Turner → park → ?
'They have stabilisers and steps out, park on the kerbs and block the pavements, some put chairs out to stop people from parking near them.
'
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some → have → them
A lot are not taxed, even the expensive ones.
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lot → tax → ?
The council can offer assistance to a vulnerable person while simultaneously enforcing restrictions and addressing unsafe or anti-social conduct.
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council → offer → conduct
BCP has totally let residents and the people who use Shelley Park and the Overcliff down.
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who → let → Park
It is also letting down vulnerable people who are being left to live in vehicles beside a busy road.
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who → let → road
'It is however, favouring people who want to pull up, camp for free and use the area as their dumping ground.
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who → favour → ground
The problem has been documented by BCP for years, yet the council continues to spend money reacting to it through repeated clean-ups and meetings that get nowhere.'
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that → document → ups
Dr Alan McBride, who jointly chairs the residents' group, said: 'BCP has allowed Boscombe Overcliff Drive and the surrounding roads to become an unofficial campsite, despite the location being completely unsuitable because of the health and safety, fire and sanitation risks.
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location → chair → risks
When we asked BCP to respond to these specific concerns, the reply was disappointing and dismissive.
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reply → ask → concerns
BCP appears to be giving greater weight to the views of five vehicle dwellers than to those of more than 1,500 residents who signed the petition and live with the consequences.
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who → appear → consequences
We need a consistent Traffic Regulation Order covering the whole of the Overcliff and all the surrounding roads.'
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We → need → Overcliff
The residents claim van owners have blocked pavements with awnings and chairs spread out while drivers struggle to see sight lines as they pull out of side roads
A drumkit and microphone block a pavement on the road in Southbourne
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drumkit → claim → Southbourne
A portable toilet was spotted having been dumped by the side of the road
Jonathan Porter
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toilet → spot → road
added: 'This is not about who owns or occupies the vehicles.
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who → add → vehicles
It is about whether prolonged camping is appropriate in a location without the facilities and safeguards expected of a proper campsite.'
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camping → expect → campsite
Jo Keeling, a former police officer turned community campaigner, said: 'This is not about preventing responsible camper van owners from visiting our coast.
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This → turn → coast
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
