Bristol Zoo: 196 homes to be built on former site in Clifton

New homes will be built on the former Bristol Zoo site after councillors approved plans.

The site in Clifton, home to the zoo for 186 years until its closure in September 2022, will include 196 homes.

The Bristol Zoological Society said the proceeds of the sale will be used to develop its new home at the Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire.

Bristol City Council's development control committee approved the plans by six votes to three.

The decision was made despite arguments from campaigners that alternatives for the site should be explored and large amounts of public opposition.

Nearly 10,000 petitioners and 1,000 public objections urged the council to refuse the planning permission, citing the loss of biodiversity, the impact on the architectural heritage of the Victorian buildings, and an increase in vehicle traffic.

Tom Jones, Save Bristol Zoo Gardens Campaign co-founder, said the approval was "disastrous for Bristol, for heritage and for conservation".

As part of the plan for new homes, the gardens at the centre of the former zoo site will remain open to the public for free year-round.

Dr Justin Morris, chief executive of Bristol Zoological Society, said: "I understand that closing the gardens has provoked strong feelings — people love the zoo.

"But we have worked respectfully with the community, staff, officers and statutory bodies in what I think will be held up as an exemplary scheme."

There will be 37 houses and 159 flats at the site. Most of the blocks of flats will be four or five storeys, with some on the northern block reaching six storeys.

Bristol Zoo Gardens, run by the Bristol Zoological Charity, opened in 1836 and was the fifth oldest zoo in the world.

But due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and a new focus on expanding The Wild Place Project, also owned by the charity, the zoo closed in September 2022.

Construction work on the society's new zoo, which will be known as the Bristol Zoo Project, is planned to start in 2024.

It said the new site will offer larger, modern facilities, with greater focus on conservation and education work.

The society submitted a planning application in May 2022, before resubmitting it in October after feedback from the council and Historic England.

In response to the housing plans, Historic England said: "The ability for visitors to enter the site, free of charge, post-redevelopment, is a significant heritage benefit.

"Generally, Historic England finds much to admire in the proposals."

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