Chester Zoo unveiled plans to build safari-style lodges where visitors could stay overnight and wake up to see giraffes at close quarters. A whole swathe of overnight accommodation and a new restaurant could be built next to a giraffe enclosure under the proposals, CheshireLive reports.
The zoo was originally given planning permission to build 28 lodges and 14 tents in September 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic meant the project had to be put on hold. Now bosses have unveiled their 'Natural Vision' masterplan to tap into the overnight stay market by developing the popular tourist attraction into a Savannah habitat with an attractive lake, an African street and a welcome building.
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Cheshire West and Chester Council's planning committee approved the initial plans back in 2019, despite being regarded as inappropriate development in the green belt. Councillors agreed with the planning officer that the zoo’s economic and conservation role meant it passed the very special circumstances test.
The new enhanced plans, which affect the western edge of the zoo, come hot on the heels of plans to convert the zoo's original stable block into a weddings and events venue, which were given the green light by the council back in April this year. Zoo bosses state that the area chosen for the waterside lodge plans is not currently used to house animals or any sort of visitor experience.
The overnight accommodation, which is part of the wider Grasslands masterplan, would also involve erecting a welcome building. This would include a reception, restaurant for up to 120 people serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a bar for both overnight guests and visitors to the zoo.
The 63 waterside lodges, which would be built around a lake, would be of varying styles and sizes, with 54 built initially, with the option to build a further nine in future. They would either be four or six-bed lodges, including a king size bed and bunk beds.
The exteriors of the buildings are said to be inspired by the Pangolin's body armour of scales, with timber shingles to create textured natural surfaces. Zoo bosses say they are designed to blend into the landscape.
The rear of each lodge will mainly comprise of glass to ensure that guests have great views of either the water or the giraffe enclosure. There would also be an African street for guests to enjoy as part of their stay.
A check-in area for guests would be located in a different part of the zoo, at the main car park, with a different planning application set to be submitted for this. A fleet of buggies would ferry guests to and from the check-in area. There would be limited vehicular access via the main entrance off the existing roundabout.
The development would also include two giraffe feeding stations next to the Bachelor Giraffe Paddock, with one reserved exclusively for guests of two of the lodges. An island in the centre of the lake would be used as an events space.
The zoo's submission states: "The overnight accommodation proposals will provide the opportunity for guests to have an extended visit to the zoo to allow them to become more immersed in Grasslands and the wider zoo offer. This luxury proposal will provide restaurant and bar facilities for guests, and a collection of uniquely themed lodges all set within a naturalistic and subtly stylised environment that is representational of the African Grassland landscape.
"The overnight accommodation provides direct access for guests into the main zoo to strengthen the connection between the Grasslands zone and this site, and reinforces the North of England Zoological Society's conservation and educational messages through the creation of a habitat rich and biodiverse landscape and a communal events Island space for conservation talks."
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