Jonathan Dimbleby backs alternative proposals for Bristol Zoo site

Jonathan Dimbleby is the latest in a growing list of well-known Bristol names to enter the furore over the future of Bristol Zoo’s historic grounds.

The veteran broadcaster and author has thrown his weight behind a vision spearheaded by former mayor George Ferguson that could see the site turned into the world’s first augmented reality (AR) zoo.

Dimbleby says the £75m project put forward by a collective called Our World Bristol would build on the city’s “proud tradition of inventiveness and innovation which continue to push engineering and cultural boundaries”.

His support comes just days after a group of tourism bosses publicly backed the zoo’s plans for its Clifton home, which would see it sold to be redeveloped into new homes in a scheme that would open the grounds to the public and include a café and conservation hub.

The open 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, claims the Our World proposals are “unconvincing and unviable”.

Jonathan Dimbleby says the vision for an augmented reality zoo would build on the city’s “proud tradition of inventiveness and innovation” – photo by Martin Booth

Dimbleby, who recently featured on Bristol24/7’s Behind the Headlines podcast, disagrees, saying: “There is an originality and creativity that make OurWorld Bristol such an exciting, magical prospect and a brilliant asset for people across the communities of Bristol.

“It will rightly celebrate the zoo’s past but what matters most is that has the potential to inspire future generations to take an active interest in the natural world at a time when we need urgently to sustain the planet’s biodiversity and avoid the catastrophe of climate change.”

He added: “Turning the vision into a reality by transforming the zoo will be quite a challenge but I sense that there is a determination to make OurWorld Bristol happen and that will capture the imagination of people across Bristol and cement the city’s status as a place where amazing things happen.”

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Bristol Zoo, which is set to move all of its operations to the Wildplace Project, has said its plans to sell the Clifton site for housing will safeguard its future work.

Welcoming the support from tourism bosses in the city, Francesca Fryer, the Bristol Zoological Society’s director of transformation, said they understand the challenges facing the sector.

Bristol Zoo has pledged to open its historic grounds to the public as part of the proposed redevelopment – image courtesy of Bristol Zoo Gardens/ Penoyre & Prasad Architects

Fryer added that the Clifton site “will simply be unable to operate as a visitor attraction from 2024 onwards” due to its location in a residential area with very limited parking.

Mayor Marvin Rees also alluded to his support for the zoo’s plans during a press conference on Wednesday, saying in response to a question about the city’s housing crisis: “One of the other parties is opposing houses on the zoo site for instance, it’s a brownfield site in the middle of the city.” He asked where new homes should go if not on a brownfield site such as the zoo’s Clifton grounds.

Main image by LDA Design 

Read more: Bristol tourism bosses back zoo’s plans for Clifton site

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