News / Turbo Island
Application submitted for Turbo Island to get ‘village green’ status
A final throw of the dice by campaigners who want to prevent development on Turbo Island could see the space gain the official designation of ‘Village Green’.
Tim O’Gara, Bristol City Council’s director of legal and democratic services, has acknowledged confirmation of the application.
It will be up to councillors on the Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee to decide whether the land should become a Village Green.
If Turbo Island’s new owners – who purchased the land in October for £100,000 ahead of it going to auction – are looking to develop the land, the application is likely to be fiercely contested.
It is unknown who these owners are, however, with people with rose-tinted spectacles hoping that benevolent benefactors purchased the vacant plot on the corner of Stokes Croft and Jamaica Street in order to keep it empty.
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Town and Village Greens are defined by law “as areas of land where local people indulged in lawful sports and pastimes”.
“Anyone can apply under section 15(1) of the Commons Act 2006 to register land as a green if it has been used by local people for lawful sports and pastimes ‘as of right’ (i.e. without permission, force or secrecy) for at least 20 years.”
Existing Village Greens across Bristol include Ashton Vale, Horfield Common, Shirehampton Green and Stoke Lodge.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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