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People camping out on College Green in protest at Bristol City Council’s proposed changes to the way they deal with people living in tents and vans face court action to evict them by Saturday - because an ‘Ethical Life Festival’ is due to take place there.

The homelessness campaigners were issued with a notice on Tuesday afternoon telling them that the council would be seeking a court order to throw them off the space in front of City Hall.

The campaigners have been camped out in front of the council offices for a week and a half, ever since the council launched a consultation on what to do about the city’s growing number of people living in tents and vans throughout Bristol.

The campaigners said they want to highlight what they see as a crackdown on people who are forced into vans parked in residential streets across Bristol as a result of the city’s worsening housing crisis.

Many of those camping on College Green are homeless, and have moved to the city centre site from other places they were camping in.

On Saturday, the Ethical Life Festival, a major event organised by vegan campaign group Viva!, is due to take place on College Green, which will be fenced off for the ticketed festival.

The city council will be going to court on Friday to obtain an Order of Possession, which will given it the power to move the tent city protestors by force, if necessary, ahead of Saturday, but council bosses are understood to be preparing for that eviction to not take place before Saturday, and festival organisers are working on a ‘Plan B’ site arrangement which works around the tented village.

(Image: BristolLive)

The city council’s cabinet member responsible for housing, Paul Smith, said he wanted those campaigners to engage with the consultation and let their views be known.

“Council officers have been in regular contact with the individuals camping on College Green, both to encourage them to engage with our consultation and to ensure their welfare needs are met,” he said.

“St Mungos have been working with us to offer support where needed.

“Sleeping on the streets or in a vehicle is not a safe, long term solution and our priority is to get people into suitable accommodation.

(Image: BristolLive)

“There are a number of sanitation issues linked to camping for extended periods in a place without proper facilities,” he added.

Cllr Smith said those people living in tents on College Green are being kept informed of the proceedings to oust them.

“The council is following its current tents policy and, after asking the occupiers to leave voluntarily, we are now going through the court process and we are keeping individuals informed.

(Image: BristolLive)

“We are currently consulting on draft policies for supporting and managing vehicle dwelling encampments and rough sleeping encampments to make sure we have the right approach and we would strongly encourage everyone to have their say in this.

“Our aim is to have a fair process that is able to support people but which allows us to take appropriate actions when they are needed. The consultation will be open until 26 August,” he added.

A spokesperson for Bristol Housing Action Movement, which is organising the tent village protest, said: ""The peaceful political occupation of a segment of College Green has been issued eviction proceedings by BCC Commercialisation Dept. to make room for a private festival that promotes ethical living.

"Saturday 14th’s Viva!City Ethical Life’s organisers are in support of the peaceful political occupation and have offered to include them within the festival. Bristol City Council however has given strict orders that the peaceful protest must not be engaged with or encouraged," he added.