Skip to content

Campaigners hope to stop ex-zoo plan for 196 homes

Dawn Limbu & Audrey Dias
BBC News, Bristol
Kin Creatives An artist's impression of proposed new housing on the former Bristol Zoo site. The image shows a row of cream coloured flats with people enjoying the green space outside of it.Kin Creatives
Campaigners oppose plans to build 196 new homes on the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site

Campaigners are to hold a meeting in the hope of saving the former Bristol Zoo site from being redeveloped into 196 new homes with public access to the gardens for free.

The homes were set to be built at the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site, but an application for a judicial review of Bristol City Council's decision to approve the scheme has been submitted.

The campaigners, from Save Bristol Gardens Alliance, said they were not satisfied public access to the gardens would be permanently guaranteed.

Justin Morris, CEO of Bristol Zoological Society, said they had consulted extensively with the public and it was "categorically not the case" that free public access to the gardens was not protected.

The planning proposal includes 196 new homes, of which 20% would be affordable, a new public park that would see the gardens accessible for free, a new cafe, playground and conservation hub.

Alastair Sawday wears a black and white checked scarf and a red jacket. He has short white hair and stands outside of Bristol Zoo Gardens.
Alastair Sawday says the zoo has "no mechanism" for ensuring public access to the gardens

"They've got no mechanism for making sure it does happen," said Alastair Sawday, member of the Save Bristol Gardens Alliance.

"So if you put in place permanent public access, in perpetuity, you have to have the means to support it and they haven't.

"They can't do that. So the chances are, the developer will come along and find life's getting rather expensive, and bit by bit, they'll erode it."

In 2022, Bristol Zoo moved to its new home in north Bristol. The Bristol Zoological Society said the proceeds of its sale would go towards the new site's expansion.

Justin Morris wears a navy blue raincoat over a white shirt. He has short grey hair and black round rimmed glasses.
Justin Morris says the gardens will need to be publicly accessible for the developments to take place

Mr Morris said the decision to close and sell the site had been made in 2020.

"It's categorically not the case that public access to the gardens, which will be free to access for the first time in their history, is not protected," he said.

"It is protected and for any development of the site to take place, the gardens will need to be publicly accessible. "

Carrie Sage stands outside of Bristol Zoo Gardens. She has short mousey brown hair and wears a dark-green turtleneck underneath a navy-blue puffer jacket.
Campaigner Carrie Sage says the group will keep pushing to overturn the planning permission

Save Bristol Gardens Alliance was given permission by the High Court last October to challenge the plans and they expect a hearing in May.

The campaign group said they were also concerned about the removal of heritage trees.

About 80 of 218 trees on the site would be removed. Of those being removed, 44 would be replanted and 470 new trees would be planted.

"Bristol Zoo Garden's site has been important to Bristol for nearly 200 years," said Carrie Sage, founder and director of the Save Bristol Gardens Alliance.

"It's the wrong development in the wrong place and that's why we keep pushing to overturn the planning permission."

"And, if we are successful [at the judicial review], that will overturn the planning permission and force a complete rethink for this site."

She added: "And one which we will really welcome, because there is a much better solution for Bristol here."

A public meeting will be held at Christ Church in Clifton on Wednesday from 19:00 to 21:00 GMT.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More on this story
Related internet links