News / Turbo Island
Turbo Island owner says site’s descent from ‘nice area’ is ‘piss-take’
The public inquiry to determine whether Turbo Island should be registered as a village green continued on Wednesday as evidence was given by the site’s current and former landowners.
A crucial element is the decision of the taxpayer-funded barrister as to whether the area has been used continuously for ‘lawful pastimes’ over the last 20 years.
The question of whether recreational drugs have been used on Turbo Island over the last 20 years will be a central question of whether the village green application is approved.
Representatives of current landowners Out of Hand and former owners Insite Poster Properties gave evidence at the enquiry in objection to the village green application, both pointing to illegal activities taking place on the infamous plot of land between Stokes Croft and Jamaica Street.
Stuart Wellman, previously a property acquisition developer at Insite (now called Wildstone) said the company avoided putting up a fence around Turbo Island between 2007 and 2020 because they feared that the space would be used for nefarious activities.
“In some senses it (a fence) would have been appropriate,” said Wellman at the hearing which took place at the second day of St Paul’s Learning Centre.
“But where there is persistent, let’s call them, issues, the opportunity for someone to kick through a fence and then all manner of sin to be perpetrated is just unthinkable.”
Wellman said that during the time he had responsibility for Turbo Island, there were numerous challenges of maintaining the property including posters frequently being ripped down which required constant maintenance visits by Insite.
A tongue-in-cheek billboard by Oowee Diner, ‘Hotter than a Turbo Island bonfire’ – photo: Oowee Diner
Out of Hand commercial director, Nigel Muntz, who purchased Turbo Island ahead of an auction in 2024, also commented on the unusual activities on the triangular patch of land that used to be the site of a shoe shop.
Muntz said: “I’m not aware of any other cities where a regular bonfire is allowed to take place so close to the city centre for example.
“The irony of Turbo Island is that it’s a bit of a piss-take – excuse my language – insofar as at one point there used to be green grass.
“It was quite nice but now it’s kind of descended.”
Turbo Island in 2016 when grass was still growing – photo: Bristol24/7
Daniel Bennett, the solicitor representing the application to register Turbo Island as a village green, said Bristol City Council had been unhelpful throughout the process.
He said that for around eight months, he has been asking for clarity in the objections and correspondence.
“I’d repeatedly be asking, is use in dispute? And I got no answer. The first time I received any idea that use was in the dispute was when I got the skeleton submissions.”
Douglas Edwards KC, who will be giving Bristol City Council advice on the decision whether or not to register Turbo Island as a village green, said “use is certainly in the dispute”.
Bennett also emphasised the importance of a non-discriminatory approach.
Citing the Equality Act 2010, Bennett said that “when interpreting things like what counts as recreational activity, you must not interpret it in any way which excludes people on a social basis”.
The public enquiry has now finished gathering evidence in public and is due to hear final submissions on July 2, when the decision on whether Turbo Island should become a village green is expected to be decided.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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