Public inquiry will decide Castle Park 'town green' bid

A public inquiry is being planned to rule on a campaign to give town green status to Castle Park.

The ongoing dispute between Bristol City Council, developer Deeley Freed and people opposing the development of the St Mary le Port site at the High Street end of the park will come to a head in December.

Plans have been put on hold while the application to grant town green status city centre park is discussed.

No progress on the development will be made until at least the start of 2009, after the week-long public inquiry.

This week the interested parties will have a closed meeting to hear the legal process of the hearing.

Barrister Vivian Chapman QC has been appointed by the city council as independent inspector for the dispute.

After looking at the evidence presented to him so far, the he has recommended a non-statutory public inquiry, which are used for matters of “vital public importance” but where witnesses are not legally bound to give evidence.

Campaigners hope the inquiry will allow them to make a stand against what they call the “essentially money-minded” city council, they say is trying to get the plans through.

The development, unveiled to the public almost two years ago, would see two 1960s office blocks at the corner of High Street and Wine Street demolished to make way for new offices, shops and flats.

Developers also want to landscape some of the existing green space which is enjoyed by people eating their lunch during the summer.

Mary Bannerman, 71, from Redcliffe and spokeswoman for the campaign to save the threatened area of the park, said: “It was a lack of trust in the council's long-term vision for the city centre which prompted the application for registration as a green.

“In spite of the apparent lack of action, things are happening in a slow and legalistic sort of way.”

A spokeswoman for Bristol City Council said: “There's an agreed procedure for the town green status and we will be following that procedure.”

Andrew Maltby, director of Deeley Freed, said: “The town and village green application could fundamentally affect our proposals and we have therefore decided to wait until it is determined before we consult members of the public and stakeholders on our revised plans for St Mary-le-Port.”