"Van Lifers Clash with Locals in UK Beach Paradise Over Trash, Benefits, and Parking Issues"

BOASTING turquoise waters, pristine sandy beaches and beautiful countryside, it’s easy to see why a Cornwall spot has been compared to the Mediterranean.

Boats bob on the water, hikers traverse the coastline and water sports fanatics make the most of the waves which crash along the rocks in Newquay, attracting 2.2 million visitors every year.

Tom Dawes lives in his van with his two dogs Credit: Neil Hope George Vincent and his girlfriend have lived in their van on and off for eight years Credit: Neil Hope Charlie runs a whole business from his van Credit: Neil Hope Newquay in Cornwall has become something of a Mecca for Van-Lifers Credit: Neil Hope

But it’s not just droves of tourists who are drawn to the town – the seaside spot has also become a magnet for travelling communities, hosting a hard-core community of van lifers close to its beaches.

One of the most popular spots for van-dwellers is Little Fistral, but as they enjoy the stunning views from the clifftops, some nearby residents are boiling over with rage, even leading to one violent encounter between the warring communities.

The Sun visited the Towan Head car park in Newquay on a warm sunny day to hear both sides of the story.

Tom Dawes, 46, from Essex, lives with his dogs Betty and Dolly in a converted van overlooking the sea and was relaxing in a hammock when The Sun approached him.

He explained how he suffered from bone cancer as an older teenager, followed by lung cancer, and spent the best part of five years in hospital.

Tom, who is unemployed, says it costs him around £400 a month to live.

“I came out of hospital, was too old for apprenticeships or training, so I worked manual labour jobs, saved money, and bought a property, but a few years later the metalwork in my leg broke. I had two breaks in my knee within eight years of each other.

“So, I had a mortgage and bills, but when I broke my leg and was out of work for six months each time, there was very little help for me, benefits-wise, and I was struggling to feed myself.

Tom like the lifestyle for the freedom it offers Credit: Neil Hope He admitted that a group of residents attacked them Credit: Neil Hope

“It just got to a point where I was like, I’m going to either be repossessed or move into a van and draw a line under it.

“It’s the best thing I ever did. Trying to struggle to pay for a roof over my head was the most stressful, depressing thing I think I ever did. I probably should have been dead in 1997, so every day is a bonus.

“Living in a van every day is great, apart from people who get snotty with you, but people are always going to be like that.

“There’s a group of residents who are really unhappy that we stayed here and got a whole mob together. It was basically like pitchforks; one guy called my friend scum, so he went after him, asking what his problem was, and this man attacked him, punched him in the head.

“People have been spat at and abused and had their vans scratched.

“People have only got four things really that they can throw at you, and it’s not paying council tax, sh***** in bushes, leaving rubbish, and then being a thief. I don’t pay council tax, but the other things are not me; we clean up the rubbish because we love it here.

“They’re angry at the fact that this is going on, which I get. But the reason this is going on is that the government is not doing their job properly, and they’re mis-spending their money. But we’re the target for that because we’re the people they see every day.

“For me it’s about freedom, cutting the chains of society, I guess. I was never somebody really wanting to conform to get a job, get a wife, get a house, then you retire, and then you buy a motorhome, and then you go on holiday for five years, maybe if you’re lucky. I’d rather be poor and happy than rich.”

Many of the van-lifers admit that because of the car parking charges, they cover up their number plates with gaffer tape to avoid charges, a ruse which is not strictly illegal as the car park, which also allows access to Towan Beach, is owned by Cornwall County Council.

George Vincent, 28, originally from Southampton, is one of the few who doesn’t. He and his girlfriend have lived in vans on and off for eight years.

George Vincent spends less than £500 a month to live in his van Credit: Neil Hope He and his girlfriend were inspired to live in a van after meeting someone on a ski season Credit: Neil Hope

He says: “My girlfriend and I went and worked a ski season in 2018; we met a guy who was living in his van, and we thought it was a cool way of doing things. He had a big wood burner in there, and if there was a room in the hotel free, he’d sleep there.

“When the season ended, we went home and didn’t want to move in with my parents or her parents, so we applied and got jobs in Cornwall but couldn’t find accommodation.

“We camped in a tent for two months, and managed to get a flat, but wanted to do another ski season, and we lost the flat because we only had a six-month lease.

“We thought back to the guy who lived in a van on the ski slopes and decided to buy a van. This cost £9,500, then a little bit more to fix leaks and things.

“Fuel is expensive, especially now, so we try not to move around too much, but with tax and insurance we don’t spend more than £500 a month to live. I eat at work usually, so that saves money too.

“We don’t cover our number plates; we might get a parking ticket now and then, but we just pay the fine.

“The only other downside is probably that you do get treated a certain way by some people, who assume you’re on benefits, or just don’t like the fact we’re sleeping in the car park, but you get used to it.

“We don’t have a heater; we’ve had nights where we’ve boiled the kettle and all our pots just to let heat out overnight, but we’re not here a lot in the winter as we’ll go and do a ski season.

“We’re not planning to move yet because we love the lifestyle so much and this is such a beautiful place.”

He particularly enjoys living in such a beautiful place Credit: Neil Hope Some residents assume the van people are all on benefits Credit: Neil Hope

Charlie, 34, originally from Watford, London, runs his own graphic design and social media business from his van, which is kitted out with Ikea furniture, complete with a corner sofa, desk and chair.

He says: “I’ve been working from home for a good eight years, and last year I got the opportunity to buy a van, so I did. I had moved to North Wales to be in the mountains and had an active lifestyle, hiking a lot.

“Even though I was renting, I was spending around £2,000 a month on rent and bills, so this just gave me the ability to redirect my money to fund activities, and I’m having the best time living on the beach.

“Now that I’m in the van, I’ve got exactly the same set-up for working as I used to have; I just have to use a hotspot on my phone. I built a wooden frame like you would in a house, insulated it, painted it white inside and filled it with furniture – it’s just like a little bedsit.

“After work I go surfing or scuba-diving or free-diving, and I’ve recently got into spear-fishing, but without the spear because although I’m not vegetarian, I don’t want to kill the fish.

“I know some residents, especially the ones overlooking the beach, are not super happy about it. I wouldn’t say they’re irate, but imagine you had a multi-million-pound house on the beach, and then we come and park out here – it’s not ideal for them.

“I know there might have been one incident, but generally, people are alright. Generally, people are great.”

Properties in Headland Road, which overlooks Little Fistral, have an average selling price of more than £750,000.

A single mum, who has lived in a van with her young son for more than two years, says: “I chose this life because it’s too expensive to rent a flat since people started changing their properties into holiday rentals, so it’s a problem society has created.

Charlie is originally from Watford but now lives in a van kitted out with Ikea furniture Credit: Neil Hope However, he admitted that the winters are savage Credit: Neil Hope

“It’s also a lifestyle choice which gets us away from being part of a system I don’t want my child to be part of. The only downside is that the winters are savage.

“There’s a hard-core community of us, and we support each other, as well as looking after the land around us.

“We clean up after ourselves and keep the place tidy, we’re not partying or making a lot of noise, and we even pick up other people’s rubbish, but we get the blame for leaving the rubbish.

“The toilet block here has been closed because someone vandalised it, which we’ve also been blamed for, but why would we damage the facilities we need, it wouldn’t make much sense.

“People think we fit a certain stereotype, but we’re probably more respectful of our environment than most other people.”

Pentire Residents Association, with more than 1,200 members on Facebook are known to be some of the main objectors to the van-lifers choice of location.

The Sun contacted the organisation for a comment.

He also enjoys being a part of the community Credit: Neil Hope Locals complained that the council does nothing about it Credit: Neil Hope

Residents and tourists were wary of sharing their views with us, but one, who lives nearby, says: “There are too many people living in their vans now because the council basically does nothing about it. I know it’s not all of them, but some leave rubbish.

“Once a couple park up, more come because it’s a beautiful place and easy to get away with dodging parking fees.

“They use the facilities and the bins, but don’t pay for the privilege, so it doesn’t seem very fair on those of us who do pay.”

The van-lifers are moved on every year when the five-day Boardmasters festival runs, which this year starts on August 5.

Days after our visit, 31 members of the van-dwelling community were slapped with an eviction notice, giving them two days to leave, although one vowed ‘we’ll be back’.

The car park is in the division represented by Councillor Joanna Kenny at Cornwall Council.

She says: “While parking charges (and enforcement action) are taking place in the Towan Headland/Little Fistral car park, sadly there are always some who think they are being clever if they can avoid paying charges.

“Cornwall Council is well aware of this particular wheeze – but the legal ramifications of dealing with this sort of activity on an off-road parking area are very complex and are still being resolved.

The van-lifers are moved on every year when Boardmasters festival comes to town Credit: Neil Hope Locals also say they dodge car park fines Credit: Neil Hope

“I was expecting teething problems when Cornwall Council took back the car park, but I am pleased to see that it is making a healthy income much needed to support our highway network.”

We understand that the incidents involve people living in vans.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police says: “We are aware of this issue and have worked with the civil enforcement team from the council to assist problem-solving. However, primarily it remains a local authority matter.”

“We are aware of the issues at Towan Headland car park at Little Fistral and are looking to take appropriate action,” added a Cornwall Council spokesperson.

Newquay Town Council addressed the closure of the toilets, stating it is “committed to maintaining these important community facilities for the benefit of residents and visitors; however, continued misuse has resulted in repeated unplanned closures to address damage and carry out essential repairs, as well as creating additional and unnecessary costs to the public purse.

“The council will continue to do its part to keep these facilities open and operational, but this is not sustainable without the responsible use and cooperation of all users.

Continued misuse of these facilities and any abuse of staff will not be tolerated, and further action may be taken where appropriate.

“We ask that the facilities are treated with respect so that they can remain open and available for everyone.”