Bristol Stool Map

Bristol is famous all around the world for the Bristol Stool Scale which was developed at the BRI in 1987 by Stephen Lewis and Ken Heaton.

Stools are a hot topic in Bristol at the moment.

At the Full Council Meeting held on 04/11/2025 one of the questions in the Public Forum was submitted by Ian Woodward concerning the "open Cesspit on The Downs".

A written response was provided just before the meeting.

When Mr Woodward asked some follow up questions at the meeting he mentioned that BCC had only taken action once they received notice that a "Litter Abatement Order" was being served on them.

Litter Abatement Orders are intended to be used by the public to improve the cleanliness of local environments. Any individual who is fed up with litter spoiling an area can seek a Litter Abatement Order. You might be a local resident, someone who works nearby, a regular visitor or just have an interest in the area. You can also apply as an individual representing a local voluntary or community group.

You can view Mr Woodward's Question here.

And hear the response from Councillor Williams.

"We know it's distressing for residents, both around The Downs and many other locations around the City"

The impact of Van Dwellers on The Downs has been reported a lot in the local press:

Hundreds call for quicker action to remove Downs caravans during heated meeting

April 2025

"one even said he had calculated there was ‘around £3 million of council tax sitting in this church right now among all the people here, with a threat that the residents could simply refuse to pay it if the issue was not sorted"

Fear and loathing over van dwellers on Bristol's leafy streets

May 2025

"I have a great deal of sympathy for people who are homeless, I really do. But there are a lot of people up here who are not – they're just living here because they can. I have to pay for the privilege"

Group to sue council as van dweller numbers rise

Oct 2025

A community group is fundraising £40,000 to take a council to court over its "lack of action" on van dwellers. Hundreds of people attended Protect the Downs community action group's public meetings on Monday to discuss Bristol City Council's ongoing consultation on van dwellers.

From all this press coverage you might think that the "Bristol Stool" problem mostly impacts people who live near The Downs.

Between 2020 and 2024 there were 65 reports of "Human Excrement" submitted to FixMyStreet in Bristol. In the first 10 months of 2025 there have been 326 "Stool" reports. This shows that it is definitely a problem that is getting worse

Are most of them on The Downs?

No.

The Downs are in Stoke Bishop Ward, which comes 4th in the "Stool Chart".

When you look at the "Stool Map" for Stoke Bishop it is clear that the majority of reports are made on The Downs.

People living near The Downs are in the privileged position of having access to expert legal knowledge and funds which make it an easier option for them to take Bristol City Council to court. But is it fair that the Council Tax payers from across Bristol are paying for our Council to defend itself in Court against action brought by a smaller group of Council Tax payers in one small area of our City?

Protect the Downs

This group are raising funds:

We will use funds for legal action to force Bristol City Council to follow their own policies for protecting the parklands relied on by tax-paying voters. We must show that it’s not okay for Councils in the UK to prioritise a few hard core van dwellers who don’t want housing because it comes with bills, don’t want traveller sites because ‘they are not nice’, enjoy the flexibility of a van dwelling lifestyle, and then hide the truly vulnerable in the process.

As well as raising funds to take the Council to court, they are also encouraging people to request a temporary reduction in their Council Tax bills.

How will diverting funds to court action and reducing Council Tax income help to deal with this specific problem? Residents of the Downs seem to think that they deserve to be prioritised over other residents of Bristol.