Bristol Zoo Gardens to open to public for free after move

Bristol Zoo has said its grounds will be open to the public for free after it moves to a new home next year.

The zoo has also announced further details of its plans for the Clifton site it has called home for 185 years.

The plans include 235 new homes, a conservation hub, a cafe, an exhibition space, a children's play area and a lake.

The zoo wants to sell the site for housing to safeguard its Wild Place attraction to the north of Bristol.

"Bristol Zoo Gardens will be more accessible than ever before," said Dr Justin Morris, chief executive of the Bristol Zoological Society.

The zoo has been in Clifton since 1836 but the charity plans to close in late 2022 and move to its Wild Place Project site, near junction 17 of the M5 in South Gloucestershire, to reopen in early 2024.

Bristol Zoo said within the plans a number of historic buildings and features at the Clifton site will be retained, including the entrance building which will be turned into the Clifton Conservation Hub and become home to the Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project.

"Bristolians and visitors to the city can come and enjoy the gardens, play area, lake, natural wildlife, and heritage buildings," said Dr Morris.

"We'll create a legacy for Bristol Zoo Gardens, making it free for the public, while protecting and improving the lives of the amazing animals in a new world-class Bristol Zoo," he added.

The second phase of a public consultation into the proposals is now underway.

Residents can view the proposals and share their views at the zoo's Clifton Pavilion on 16 November and at an online event on 23 November.

Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society (CHIS) is aiming to prevent housing developments replacing the zoo and Bristol's ex-mayor is among a group proposing an alternative use of the site as a virtual reality zoo.

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