'Urgent' calls to save Turbo Island ahead of auction

Turbo Island is set to be auctioned on Wednesday

A community group said it “needs more time” to raise money to buy an "iconic" plot of land ahead of a planned auction.

Bristol's Stokes Croft Land Trust (SCLT) said it is “extremely disappointed” the current owners of Turbo Island have rejected its offers for a community purchase.

The land, located on the corner of Jamaica Street in Stokes Croft, is being auctioned on Wednesday, with offers starting at £50,000.

But a fundraiser by the trust, which wants to build a community garden in the space, has only raised about £1,700 so far.

The land is privately owned by advertising company Wildstone, which has been contacted for comment by the BBC.

“Turbo Island is iconic. It needs a strategy, care, and improvement, but if it is lost at auction, it could be a turning point for the gentrification of Stokes Croft, and Bristol risks further damage to its vibrant arts quarter," the trust's director Lucas Batt said.

The land has been used by high street drinkers and homeless people for a long time as a place to congregate

The fundraiser by SCLT is one of several which have appeared online since the news about the auction broke in August.

SCLT said it wants to purchase Turbo Island and transform it into a community-owned space, with a garden and an art wall. It could also provide an open space for community events, the trust said.

Mr Batt said the trust was "urgently looking to raise the rest of the funds".

He continued: “If Turbo Island is bought by a commercial property developer and this opportunity for community ownership is lost, it would be a massive blow for the area and the local community."

"Doing everything we can"

As well as SCLT, the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) has nominated Turbo Island to be an Asset of Community Value (ACV.)

Meanwhile other residents are campaigning for village green status for the land, which would prevent it from being developed.

"We need to prove the land has been used socially for more than 20 years," said Ilae Krivine, 24, who lives near Turbo Island.

"We definitely have that. We have pictures of people raving on it in the early 90s."