News / bristol zoo
Public meeting to discuss future of Bristol Zoo site
An open meeting is being held on Wednesday evening as campaigners continue their fight to stop homes being built on the historic former site of Bristol Zoo.
Save Bristol Zoo Gardens call the land in Clifton “hallowed ground” and say that it is not too late to prevent “exclusive housing for the fortunate few”.
Rather than seeing a housing development, campaigners are exploring alternative ideas including a virtual-reality assisted zoo, a city farm, and a cultural and growing space.
is needed now More than ever
But zoo bosses say they are “really proud of the quality of the proposals submitted” for the Clifton site which “brings much needed housing for Bristol”.
Bristol Zoo closed on September 3 2022, with some animals moved to Wild Place near Cribbs Causeway but most relocated to other zoos.
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Read more: ‘Quite simply we want our zoo not to be taken away from us’
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Save Bristol Zoo Gardens say that some aspects of the zoo’s closure, relocation and future plans “are highly questionable and must be challenged”.
“We agree and aim to fiercely resist these plans and to change the hearts and minds of the trustees and shareholders of the zoo.
“A decision was made in 2019/2020 at a time of great national duress to dramatically change the destiny of the zoo forever. We and many others feel this was a mistake and press for the decision to be reversed, as easily as it was taken.”
In their response to Save Bristol Zoo Gardens, a statement on the zoo website says: “These plans will secure the site as a vital community asset, so everyone can enjoy its heritage for many years to come.
“Approximately 80 per cent of the site will be retained as open space and the gardens will be accessible to the public for free, for the first time since the site opened to the public in 1836.
“Historic England has called this ‘a significant heritage benefit’, saying there is much to admire in the proposed development which they feel, on the whole, is a sensitive response to its historic context.”
Save Bristol Zoo Gardens are holding a meeting at Christ Church in Clifton at 7.30pm on Wednesday. For more information, visit www.savebristolzoogardens.org.
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Visitors and staff reflect on ’emotional closure of Bristol Zoo’
- In photos: Bristol Zoo’s last day after 186 years
- Campaigners accuse Bristol Zoo of misleading the public
- Meet the Bristol Zoo birds being moved to Wild Place
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