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

Bristol Zoo is countering a vision to create the world’s first augmented reality zoo on its historic Clifton site with a proposal of its own.

The charity has revealed more details of plans to build 235 new homes on the 12-acre grounds and announced free public access to the gardens, a children’s play area, conservation hub and café will all be included as part of the development.

It says the plans will provide a mix of “sustainable, high-quality and much-needed housing” – 20 per cent of which will be ‘affordable’ – while ensuring the site’s historic buildings are protected.

The zoo announced in November last year that it would be leaving the Clifton site, which first opened as the world’s first provincial zoo in 1836. The zoo will be moving to the Wild Place Project site in a bid to ensure the sustainability of its work.

Free public access to the gardens, a children’s play area, conservation hub and café will all be included as part of the zoo’s development plans – aerial view – image courtesy of Bristol Zoo Gardens/Penoyre & Prasad Architects

In order to safeguard the future of Bristol Zoo, bosses say the historic site must be sold.

But plans to build homes on the site have been criticised by a collective of individuals and architects called Our World, who have outlined an alternative vision for the grounds that would see them transformed into a new £75m attraction.

Clifton & Hotwells Improvement Society has also successfully applied for Bristol Zoo Gardens to become an Asset of Community Value. This potentially puts a spanner in the world for the zoo as it means the community now has a right to bid to own the site if it is put up for sale any time in the next five years.

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Read more: Plans for housing on Bristol Zoo site could be prevented 

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Zoo bosses maintain their proposal will safeguard the zoo’s future and legacy while providing much-needed homes in the heart of Clifton.

Speaking about the plans, Dr Justin Morris, the chief executive of Bristol Zoological Society, said: “Bristol Zoo Gardens will be more accessible than ever before. Bristolians and visitors to the city can come and enjoy the gardens, play area, lake, natural wildlife, and heritage buildings.

“After occupying the site for 186 years, we’ll create a legacy for Bristol Zoo Gardens, making it free for the public, while protecting and improving the lives of the amazing animals in a new world-class Bristol Zoo.”

Dr Justin Morris says Bristol Zoo Gardens “will be more accessible than ever before” – image courtesy of Bristol Zoo Gardens/Penoyre & Prasad Architects

The second phase of a public consultation is underway for the zoo’s plans, which would see homes of a range of sizes built, and preservation of existing features such as the Monkey Temple building.

The current entrance building to the site will become the Clifton Conservation Hub – a public café with indoor and outdoor seating, exhibition space, education and meeting spaces. It will also be home to the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project, acting as a base for courses, walks, talks, school events, play schemes, and holiday activities.

The theatre building on the main lawn of the gardens will also be retained, providing cultural and educational talks, workshops, and seasonal events.

Zoo bosses say sustainability and ecology are at the heart of their plans, with landscaping designed to improve the site’s biodiversity.

Their new strategy follows years of declining visitor numbers to Bristol Zoo Gardens, combined with an inability to meet the changing needs of the animals within the limited space of the Clifton site and the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.

Sunand Prasad, a co-founder of London-based architects Penoyre and Prasad, who are leading the design for the site, added: “Bristol Zoo Gardens has a fantastic heritage, a wonderful landscape, and a special place in people’s hearts. The proposals reflect this. They provide beautiful public spaces and much-needed homes, in harmony with the natural world.”

The team leading the plans for housing on the historic site say they will reflect the site’s heritage and legacy – image courtesy of Bristol Zoo Gardens/Penoyre & Prasad Architects

Bristol Zoological Society is inviting people to see the proposals and share their views, at a public event at the Zoo’s Clifton Pavilion on Tuesday, November 16, and at an online event on November 23.

A third public consultation will take place in early 2022. Find out more about the zoo’s plans via www.future.bristolzoo.org.uk/.

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

Read more: ‘New homes in Clifton will tackle the housing crisis and safeguard the future of Bristol Zoo’

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