A formal decision on whether people living on Bristol’s so-called ‘meanwhile sites’ will have to pay council tax has still not been made, less than a week from the date the tax is meant to be introduced.
The city council has said people living on the sites – caravan pitches with very basic facilities which are offered to people living in vehicles to get them off the kerbside – dotted around the city will be charged council tax from April 1.
Although the council can decide to impose council tax on properties, they must first be assessed by the Valuation Office Agency, a government body, to see if they are eligible for council tax and which band they will be placed in if so.
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Bristol Live understands the VOA has yet to make a decision on whether the sites are eligible for council tax, four working days before BCC would like to start charging people living on the sites. The council will be able to impose the tax on a provisional basis until the VOA makes a formal decision; it has previously used its discretion and not charged council tax to people living on meanwhile sites, which were first introduced during the covid pandemic.
“We cannot comment on individual cases, but appreciate this is a challenging situation for those involved,” a VOA spokesperson said.
“If a local council believes a property or site should be banded for council tax, they will send us information and we will decide the most appropriate course of action. We always act impartially and in line with legislation.
“If a customer is unhappy with our decision, they are able to contact us and we will look into their specific case.”
If the VOA eventually decides the properties are not eligible for council tax, people living on the sites who have paid tax will be eligible for a refund. People living on meanwhile sites already pay a weekly pitch fee to the council.
The council’s intention to impose council tax on meanwhile sites has proven controversial. Meanwhile sites offer only very basic rudimentary facilities, and people cannot use them as registered addresses. ‘Vehicle dwellers’ occupying meanwhile sites have warned the imposition of council tax will force many of them back onto the kerbside.
Ben Richie, from the Bristol Housing Action Movement, accused the council of desperately looking for any way to make money.
“They haven’t decided, really, whether this is permanent or temporary housing,” he said. “They want the best of both worlds… They’re desperately scrambling around, I think, for revenue.”
Given the transient nature of meanwhile sites, Mr Richie said he thought the council was going to end up spending more money chasing people than it was going to recoup in taxes.
“It doesn’t seem to me that they have looked at what it’s going to actually cost them to collect these debts from people, many of whom have got nothing,” he said.
BCC has underperformed against its own targets when it comes to the expansion of meanwhile sites. As part of the authority’s new “vehicle dweller policy,” it aimed to have 250 pitches available by April. However, the council recently had to admit the target was unrealistic, and the aim is now to have 160 pitches open “by summer”.
There are currently 98 pitches spread across various sites around Bristol, all of which are occupied. In January, the council had to turn off the tap water at one site in Lockleaze over fears it was making residents sick.
Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, said: “Meanwhile Sites provide a valuable safe space with access to much needed amenities including fresh water, rubbish collection and toilet facilities and play a vital part in our support package to help vehicle dwellers move away from kerbside living. Under UK law, people who live in a caravan or a vehicle, on a pitch, as their sole or main residence are liable for council tax.
“This applies to Meanwhile Sites as well as other caravan sites in the city. We have written to people living on our sites to let them know that they will be charged from April 1, 2026.
“People have the right to appeal the decision if they believe they are not liable for council tax. Any appeals relating to the charging of council tax will need to be made to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
Cllr Parsons said people living on the sites could apply for relief from council tax if and when it was introduced.
“We are working closely with people living on our Meanwhile Sites to identify any support available to them,” he said.
“This includes our Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which offers up to 100% discount for people on low incomes, and offering help to apply for any discounts and exemptions they are entitled to. At a time when we are trying to move people away from kerbside living, we want to make living on Meanwhile Sites an affordable and viable option for vehicle dwellers.”