Campaigners have said the “fight starts now” to overturn planning permission for almost 200 homes on the Bristol Zoo site in Clifton. They pledged to keep fighting against the controversial scheme and are considering taking legal action against the recent decision.
Bristol City Council’s development control A committee granted permission for 196 homes on the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site on Wednesday, April 26. Their decision was welcomed by the mayor but criticised by many who oppose the new development.
The Bristol Zoological Society, which owns the site, now has permission to begin construction on the gardens — although this isn't expected to start until 2025. The charity said the development would help pay for its new location near Cribbs Causeway.
Read more: Bristol Zoo site to be turned into 200 homes despite huge public opposition
A spokesman for Save Bristol Zoo Gardens said: “All options are on the table and are being actively considered. In the meantime, we’re delighted to see our petition signatories accelerating since this appalling decision.
“Public opposition continues to grow. It took the Charlbury campaigners in West Oxfordshire seven years to get a housing development overturned, so Bristol Zoological Society should buckle up for a long fight.”
One option facing the campaigners is asking a judge to overturn the planning decision. They could apply for a judicial review, where a court will examine how the council came to its decision, and explore whether key factors were taken into account. If this review ends up successful, that would lead to the permission getting quashed — stopping the development.
But that wouldn’t necessarily put an end to the plans to build on the Zoo Gardens site. Elsewhere, other campaigners have successfully persuaded a judge to quash permission for controversial developments, only for the developers to apply again for planning permission but with minor changes, and have that planning application approved for a second time.
The Bristol Zoological Society closed the zoo in September last year, due to falling visitor numbers, a lack of car parking, and changes in conservation practices. Money raised from the development will help keep the gardens open to the public for free, and pay for the new Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire, north-west of Bristol.
Construction on the Wild Place Project, to be renamed the Bristol Zoo Project, is expected to begin next year. The planning decision was welcomed by the mayor, who said it would help with the city’s shortage of housing.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees tweeted: “Great to see the Bristol Zoo Gardens plans approved. The conservation charity has a bright future at a site 10 times bigger, and the old Zoo Gardens will be opened for free for the first time. New homes are being built across Bristol, including 200 more on this Clifton site.”
Mr Rees faced criticism himself for “interfering” in the planning process, which is supposed to be non-political. Councillors sitting on the development control committee are not 'whipped' — told how to vote by their parties. But the zoo’s chief executive wrote a guest post published on the mayor’s blog ahead of the meeting, setting out his arguments in favour of the plans.
This was questioned at the start of the committee meeting, by Green Councillor Ed Plowden, who said: “The thing that concerns me and I think many members of the public is that the mayor of Bristol is the strategic lead for the Labour party on planning, and yesterday chose to give his blog to the applicant.
“I have no reason to suspect that the Labour party members of this committee will do anything other than uphold the highest standards. But I wondered if they might like the opportunity to explain how they make sure that their propriety is upheld, given the circumstances.”
The vote was ultimately split along party lines, with Greens voting against the development, and Labour, Tories and the one Liberal Democrat councillor voting in favour of granting permission. But Labour Cllr Philippa Hulme said she had not read the controversial blog post, and had been too busy reading the lengthy planning reports about the application.
She said: “I have spent all my last waking hours reading all the stuff that’s been emailed to me. I haven’t had a moment to read the mayor’s blog.”
Zoo bosses said the decision would bring housing and a new park to Bristol, while allowing them to press ahead with plans for a much larger location on the other side of the M5 from Cribbs Causeway.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr Justin Morris, chief executive of Bristol Zoological Society, said: “We have always been confident in our plans for Bristol Zoo Gardens, which will bring much-needed housing for Bristol, as well as a new public park. We hope to have agreed a deal with developers by the end of this year, with construction starting at Bristol Zoo Gardens in 2025.
“Most importantly, this decision means we can look to the future, saving wildlife together, with our visitors and supporters. This starts with the creation of a new zoo — Bristol Zoo Project – at the Wild Place Project, our 136-acre site on the outskirts of Bristol. Construction is expected to start in 2024 and we can’t wait!
“With more space, our charity will be able to provide excellent animal welfare, create opportunities for more visitors to come face-to-face with threatened animals, and inspire and educate the conservationists of the future.”
But campaigners fear the public access to the gardens won’t be guaranteed, and criticised the small amount of social housing in the development. 40 of the 196 homes will be classed as ‘affordable housing’. They pledged to keep fighting “until this decision is reversed”.
Alastair Sawday, Save Bristol Zoo Gardens co-founder, said: “This decision was wrong on so many levels. Wrong on planning, wrong on delivering public benefit, wrong on the amount of social housing, wrong on the supposed guarantee of public access to the gardens.
“Only the Green party councillors challenged the lazy methodology on biodiversity gain and the extraordinary failure by a conservation charity to show leadership in environmental safeguards.
“Bristol City Council was wrong on plans to destroy the Lido, Whiteladies Cinema, Clifton Spa Pump Room and the proposal to build a tower block in the Avon Gorge. All saved and all to the greater benefit of this city. We will not stop until this decision is reversed. The campaign starts now. Bristolians — please join us. It is never too late to protect what you love.”
