Newquay ‘van lifers’ face overnight camping ban in Cornwall Council crackdown

  • Watch Sam Blackledge's report

Cornwall Council is considering banning people from sleeping overnight in camper vans in certain areas of Newquay.

The consultation, which closes at midnight on Wednesday, came after a reported rise in anti-social behaviour during the summer.

But it is causing a split in the town with some - including van owner Sahara Hawker - accusing the council of discriminating against people who cannot afford their own homes.

She said: "I had post-traumatic stress disorder and I started a journey on healing - 16 years later and I'm still living in the van.

Sahara has lived in a van for 16 years Credit: ITV West Country

"Now I live in a van because I can't afford to rent and there isn't anywhere to rent anyway.

"I think the things the council have been saying have been quite discriminating. They are saying we urinate on streets - which doesn't actually happen - van dwellers don't do that.

"I think charge us more fees for van dwellers to come and then that takes all other vans out of residential areas so there's a simple solution to this. The money can go back into Newquay as well.

"I think that everybody has been tarnished with the same brush. I have my own toilet facilities, I don't drink, I work full-time for the NHS, I've got two other jobs as well.

"It's discrimination against all van people."

The council says it has had complaints from locals Credit: ITV West Country

Cllr Louis Gardner, Mayor of Newquay, said: "Over the last couple of years, particularly in the summer time, there has been people camping for long periods of time in residential streets.

"That, in itself, is not an issue. It's the fact that the very small minority have been extremely inconsiderate, there has been anti-social behaviour, and as a result residents have complained.

"So a parking scheme has been proposed to limit the amount of overnight camping that can be done on those streets."