Bristol tourism bosses back zoo’s plans for Clifton site

Leaders of some of Bristol’s most renowned institutions are going head to head over the future of the zoo’s Clifton site.

A group of the city’s top tourism bosses have publicly backed plans to sell the historic grounds for housing, branding alternative proposals to create the world’s first augmented reality (AR) zoo on the land “unconvincing and unviable”.

Writing in a personal capacity, the heads of Destination Bristol, SS Great Britain, YTL Arena and Visit West have thrown their weight behind Bristol Zoo, stating there is a real opportunity to take a fresh look at what the city has to offer.

Their public support for the zoo’s plans comes four months after an open letter championing the alternative AR vision the site, with signatories from many major organisations in the city, including Aardman’s co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton, Laura Marshall, director of Icon Films, Marti Burgess, co-owner of Lakota, Tom Morris, artistic director of Bristol Old Vic and Alastair Sawday, the founder of Sawday’s Publishing.

CGI of Our World Bristol proposals, which would see the world’s first augmented reality zoo created in Clifton site – image courtesy of Our World Bristol

Bristol Zoo’s plans would see its historic Clifton site sold for housing, with redevelopment proposals pledging to build 235 new homes, open up the grounds to the public and create a conservation hub and café.

The charity intends to fully relocate to the Wild Place Project and says selling its city centre home will enable it to secure a “long-term sustainable future” for the zoo and its mission to save wildlife from extinction.

The £75m alternative project proposed by the Our World Bristol collective would see the site turned into an AR zoo attraction, with a circular lido, ‘wild island’ and 100-foot viewing tower in a move backers say would be educational and provide more benefits to the city.

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Read more: ‘We need to build on Bristol Zoo’s legacy – not sell the site for housing’

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In their letter on Monday, heads of some of the city’s biggest tourism organisations highlighted the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector and urged people to back Bristol’s Zoo’s plans to create “a truly 21st-century zoo”.

It continues: “We are very pleased the Bristol community will be able to access the beautiful historic Bristol Zoo Gardens for free, as part of [Bristol Zoological] Society’s plans for a residential-led scheme for the site in the future,” says the letter, signed by John Savage, executive chair of Visit West, John Hirst, former chief executive of Destination Bristol, Matthew Tanner, chief executive of SS Great Britain, Andrew Billingham, chief executive of YTL Arena, and Kathryn Davis, director of tourism Visit West.

“We also wish to firmly state that the ‘alternative’ proposal put forward by Our World is unconvincing and unviable.

“Which is why we fully support the Bristol Zoological Society’s proposals to invest in creating the amazing new Bristol Zoo at its Wild Place Project site. The new Bristol Zoo will be a truly 21st century visitor experience, with an opportunity to meet amazing animals face-to-face, and with conservation and sustainability at its heart.”

Bristol Zoo has promised free public access to the gardens, a children’s play area, conservation hub and café will all be included as part of the redevelopment – image courtesy of Bristol Zoo Gardens/Penoyre & Prasad Architects

The letter goes on to state the Clifton site that has been home to the zoo for 185 years is no longer viable as a visitor attraction, citing its location in a largely residential area and court decision preventing parking on the Downs.

The letter concludes: “Selling the site will release the funds to help create a modern zoo and truly international visitor attraction for the people of Bristol and the region.

“In 2007, a virtual tourism attraction WildWalk – an ecology centre containing digital experiences, hands-on exhibits and artificial rainforests at the then At-Bristol – was closed down due to poor attendances. Lessons should be learnt about the long-term viability of technology-based visitor attractions that typically struggle to meet very high visitor expectations and fail to keep up with the pace of technological change.”

Bristol Zoological Society is inviting people to give views on their plans at an online event on Tuesday.

Main image courtesy of Bristol Zoo Gardens/Penoyre & Prasad Architects

Read more: Bristol Zoo pledges to open historic grounds to public as part of housing plans 

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