A PUBLIC inquiry is due to held at the beginning of December to decide whether or not Bristol's Castle Park should be given town green status.

About 50 people, including 33 who live near the park, have submitted written evidence to show that it has been well used by the public for recreation for at least 20 years.

Plans to develop the St Mary le Port part of the park, at the High Street and Wine Street end of the site, were unveiled two years ago.

Bristol City Council and the developers claimed the site was under-used.

But campaigners protested and presented a petition of 5,000 names to the council in July 2006 objecting to the plans.

The developers agreed to reconsider their proposals which included shops, homes, public squares, offices, cafes and a food quarter selling local produce.

The revised plans were due to be released by the end of 2007, but are on hold until the outcome of the public inquiry is known.

Andrew Maltby, a director of Deeley Freed, said: "Following public consultation, we substantially scaled back the amount of open space which would be affected and were intending to produce new plans for public consultation earlier this year. But we cannot work up any new plans in detail or make them public until the town and village green application has been determined because we will not know until then what we have to work with. There would be no point consulting on proposals which could not happen.

"We have formally objected to the town and village green application because our legal advice is that the park does not qualify for that status, and if it was granted it would jeopardise the potential benefits, including improvements to Castle Park and the creation of a new food quarter, which the St Mary le Port development could deliver."

He said the new proposals would involve building mainly on the old Bank of England and Norwich Union sites and only a small amount of open space, about five per cent of the total in Castle Park, would be affected.

The public inquiry will take place a the Old Council House in Corn Street from December 1 to 5. Written evidence must be submitted for the inquiry by October 30.

If Castle Park User Group's bid for town green status is successful, the park will be protected from development by law.

Group member Helen White, from Eastville, wrote an open letter to all Bristol councillors and the city's MPs calling on the council to recognise Castle Park as a rich and valuable resource in the heart of the city and preserve it for all time.

In her letter she says: "I am sure you will agree that Castle Park is a key spot in the centre of our city.

"It is very highly regarded by the people of Bristol.

"This is reflected in the huge numbers who use and enjoy the whole space throughout the year and of course the mass of popular support which the move to protect it has engendered.

"It is a popular tourist site, steeped in history and the birthplace of Bristol.

"By protecting the whole of the green space and awarding town green status, the area can contribute to the rich rewards which visitors bring."

Bristol City Council is in favour of the St Mary le Port end of the park being developed.

Council leader Helen Holland said: "This site at the corner of Castle Park is predominantly the old and dilapidated Bank of England site, which blights this high profile part of the city centre.

"The proposed development site extends on to only a very small part of the green space and the proposals also include plans to significantly enhance Castle Park to make it a much more valuable green space than it currently is.

"There is also an historic area hidden in the middle of the old Bank of England site. The remains of St Mary le Port church will be restored and made publicly accessible – making the most of the pre-Blitz street pattern in this part of the city.

"The proposed development is complementary to Cabot Circus and the rest of Broadmead.

"Part of the idea is to provide a food quarter to add to St Nick's Market and the Farmers' Market. It would really make the site come to life, drawing more people to use and enjoy Castle Park and transforming the corner site from being the bit that you hurry past as you walk from Broadmead to Corn Street."