Crimes on Turbo Island reported every other day
Campaigners are trying to protect the crime hotspot in Stokes Croft
Crimes on Turbo Island were reported to the police on average every other day last year including arson and robbery.
Campaigners are trying to protect the crime hotspot in Stokes Croft as a “village green” and now Bristol City Council will hold a public inquiry into the bizarre idea.
A barrister will be hired to chair the two-day inquiry, which will explore whether the small patch of tarmac on the corner of Stokes Croft and Jamaica Street should be protected from development.
It’s not yet known when the inquiry will take place nor how much the barrister will cost.
Councillors on the public rights of way and greens committee lamented that this would inevitably end up costing taxpayers “many thousands of pounds”, when they approved the inquiry on Thursday, October 2. But their alternative options were also “reassuringly expensive”.
Police figures show 21 crimes were reported on Turbo Island in August, the latest month available. Eight of those were violent and sexual offences. From September last year to this August, 185 crimes were reported on Turbo Island — an average of one crime every other day.
Turbo Island is often home to people drinking, chatting and starting bonfires. The site is close to several services for homeless people, who regularly spend time there. Its sale last year from one advertising firm to another for £100,000 sparked fears that a developer could build a block of flats, which led to a failed crowdfunding campaign to buy the site, then the village green idea.
Village green applications are usually made to protect small plots of land from developers wishing to build there, like a patch of grass at the end of a cul-de-sac, for example. If granted then the public must be given access to a village green, preventing any future building projects. Normally, these are used for picnics and children’s ball games, and similar innocuous activities.
But Turbo Island is different. The key test for the public inquiry will be whether what happens there counts as a “lawful pastime”. Recent crime figures might suggest otherwise, and Avon and Somerset Police are objecting to the application as they previously said this would hinder their efforts to deal with anti-social behaviour and pose a risk to the local community.
Problems at Turbo Island have got worse in recent years, according to artists from the neighbouring Jamaica Street Studios. Speaking to councillors in 2022, they said the “nightmare” issues deteriorated after the council clamped down on anti-social behaviour at the Bearpit.
Campaigners from the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft are trying to “save Turbo Island”, and hope the village green status would protect the site. Supporters say it’s a vital meeting place for the local community, especially homeless people. In evidence statements earlier this year, one supporter claimed “the vibe radiates deep tolerance, acceptance and understanding”.
Because of their application, the council’s public rights of way and greens committee must decide whether to register Turbo Island as a village green. The law around village greens is complex, so they faced a dilemma — either attempt to hold an inquiry themselves and face the high chance of an expensive judicial review, or hire a barrister to chair the inquiry.
Green Councillor Ed Fraser said: “We can’t talk about the costs publicly but I do want to reassure the public that the costs are not wildly significant compared to lots of decisions that we make on policy committees. Some of the coverage of this has focused on as if we were talking about extraordinary costs, but we’re not. Legal support would be required in all instances.”
Labour Cllr Don Alexander added: “Obviously the definition of extraordinary is quite subjective. It’s certainly enough for me to worry about the costs of having somebody independent coming in.”
Councillors also raised concerns that the public inquiry might not find a definitive answer either way. They could still be left with many unanswered questions before they have to make a decision on whether to register Turbo Island as a village green.