Village green status could save 'Turbo Island'

A city centre plot of land could be protected from development as a "town or village green".

The future of Turbo Island in Stokes Croft hangs in the balance as Bristol City Council decides whether to protect it from development.

The small area, often the scene of impromptu parties, was owned by an advertising company until it was sold to a mystery buyer for £100,000, shortly before an auction was to take place.

To qualify as a town green, it has to pass tests including proving the land has been used "for lawful sports and pastimes".

Normal recreational activities include "walking, dog walking, children's play, and ball and other games", the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told.

However, the scope of what counts as a lawful pastime is wide, and might include the spontaneous sound-systems and impromptu parties that pop up every now and then on Turbo Island.

Anybody can apply to register land as a town or village green, and applications are often disputed by the landowner, who might wish to build on the land or restrict access to the public.

If councillors decide to accept the application and register the island as a town green, that would prevent the buyer from building anything there.

Previous efforts to clean up the plot of land have proved short-lived.

In 2022, Thangam Debbonaire, former Labour MP for Bristol West, triumphantly posed for photos in front of Turbo Island, declaring that she had "tried to end the fires and anti-social behaviour there", after a new layer of tarmac was laid over the land.

However, the bonfires and revellers promptly returned.

Councillors on the Public Rights of Way and Greens Committee discussed the application at a meeting on Thursday, but no final decision has yet been made.

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