THE future of Turbo Island remains in the balance, councillors have heard.
The corner of Stokes Croft and Jamaica Street has long been home to spontaneous raves and late night bonfires, splitting public opinion. Some say Turbo Island should be protected as a vital meeting place for the community, while others object to anti-social behaviour there.
Last October, the advertising firm Wildstone sold Turbo Island to a mystery buyer for £100,000. Shortly before the sale, the council received an application to register the plot as a town or village green, which would prevent any plans to build there.
But deciding whether to register Turbo Island as a village green will be a long and drawn out process, partly due to legal complexities. An update was given to Bristol’s public rights of way and greens committee on January 16.
Tom Dunsdon, a council solicitor, said objections to the village green bid had been sent to the applicants, who have until February 14 to respond.
The committee will then decided whether they need a specialist barrister to examine the application, or if they can decide for themselves whether to grant the application and register Turbo Island as a village green. Councillors raised concerns about the cost of appointing a barrister, but admitted the issue might be too complex for them.
One potential obstacle is whether a planning application has been submitted for Turbo Island. When the land was sold, the estate agents said that discussions had begun about a four-storey building on the site with a shop on the ground floor.
No application appears to have been made to the city council, but one could have been submitted to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service