News / Turbo Island
Plans to protect Turbo Island as ‘village green’ pressing ahead
Plans to protect Turbo Island as a ‘village green’ are pressing ahead as a public inquiry now looks increasingly likely.
In summer, Bristol City Council hired a barrister to find out if secret development plans would scupper the village green application, but none were found.
Douglas Edwards KC found that no “trigger event” had occurred, such as a developer applying for planning permission to build on Turbo Island.
The infamous corner of Stokes Croft and Jamaica Street is part of a row over whether the site should be protected for the community.
Bonfires are a common sight at Turbo Island – photo: Emily Brown
A public inquiry would involve a hearing open to the public, where both supporters and opponents of the application can present their evidence.
The inquiry would likely be held by another expensive barrister, who yet again would be paid for by the Bristol council tax payers.
A trigger event could have also included the council identifying Turbo Island as a potential development site in its Local Plan.
An old Local Plan from 2011 included the site within wider ambitions for the city centre, but did not specifically suggest building anything there, according to Edwards’ advice, nor did more recent development plans produced by the council.
Plans to protect the site on Stokes Croft as a “village green” look likely to go ahead – photo: Betty Woolerton
The latest legal advice will be discussed by councillors on the public rights of way and greens committee on Thursday.
They will also decide what to do next about the application, now that no trigger events were found which would stop the site getting registered as a green. Turbo Island was bought by Out of Hand, a local advertising company, almost a year ago.
On the one hand, the applicants from the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft say that Turbo Island has been used for “picnics, drinking, chatting, informal meetings, parties, bonfires and barbecues” for far longer than 20 years.
On the other hand, there are questions about whether the activities on Turbo Island count as “lawful pastimes”, a key test in village green applications.
Another key test is whether its use has been interrupted over the past 20 years, such as when the site was briefly fenced off and tarmacked over.
Objecting to the application are Out of Hand, Avon and Somerset Police and National Grid which has an electricity substation there.
The public inquiry would last for around two days. Then the barrister, known as an “inspector” in village green jargon, would write a report for the public rights of way and greens committee, with advice on whether to register Turbo Island or not.
Council bosses previously refused to admit the cost of appointing Edwards KC, as this was “commercially sensitive”. But barristers are rarely cheap to hire.
One option mooted by some councillors at a recent committee meeting was for the council to simply buy Turbo Island itself, which could end up being cheaper than hiring lawyers to explore the village green application.
Alex Seabrook is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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