Chester Zoo will start to look a bit different now that 2023 in underway.
The popular tourist attraction is introducing some exciting changes, including overnight accommodation, a new habitat and even the opportunity to tie the knot at the venue. Some of the developments should be complete in the next few years.
By spring 2023, the zoo will have a brand new luxury wedding and events venue up and running. And during the course of the year, it is hoped work can begin on two major developments that will transform the visitor experience, reports CheshireLive.
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Chester Zoo is currently awaiting approval to press on with its plans for a swathe of overnight accommodation and a new restaurant next to a giraffe enclosure at the popular tourist attraction. It has also unveiled plans to create a new snow leopard habitat.
The zoo wants to create a new animal holding building, on-show and off-show animal enclosures and a public viewing area.
Chester Zoo said: "Throughout the next few years we’re developing some of the most exciting new additions the zoo has ever seen. This includes our project to bring an authentic African savannah with lodge-style accommodation to the zoo with the new Heart of Africa zone. We’re also delighted to be developing a state-of-the-art snow leopard habitat which is set to open in 2024."
Here are the exciting developments in the pipeline at Chester Zoo...
Wedding and events venue
The zoo's eagerly-anticipated 380-capacity wedding destination is set to open in Spring 2023.
Featuring an impressive gated entrance, the unique building will have its own large private courtyard, exposed brick walls, vaulted rafters and large windows overlooking the zoo’s botanical gardens, as well as a host of preserved historical features.
The luxury space is an extension of an existing Grade II listed stable block that has stood at the heart of the 128-acre zoo since it opened in 1931. The original structures were once home to some of the zoo’s first animals such as lions, bears and chimpanzees.
Jamie Christon, CEO at Chester Zoo, said: “The Square will be a special, one-of-a-kind space that preserves the zoo’s rich history and character, while also adding a modern twist to its interior that showcases our plans for a more sustainable future. While the zoo has, for some time, offered an intimate wedding and events space at The Oakfield gastropub, which can hold around 50 guests, we’re frequently asked if we can accommodate larger scale events.
"That’s why we’re really excited to begin welcoming guests to this incredible new venue from early next year. But what’s particularly special is that income generated by each and every occasion that takes place at The Square will contribute to our charitable mission and help us to secure a brighter future for wildlife on our planet.
"When The Square opens in spring 2023 there will be nothing else quite like it in the UK. Who wouldn’t want to get married surrounded by 27,000 animals?”
Lakeside lodges
Over the summer Chester Zoo lodged fresh plans for visitors to enjoy a unique overnight stay - with a chance to wake up and see giraffes at close quarters. The ambitious proposals will see a whole swathe of overnight accommodation and a new restaurant being built next to a giraffe enclosure at the popular tourist attraction.
Visitors to the zoo would be able to enjoy staying over at one of 62 lodges within the Grasslands zone. The zoo was originally given planning permission to build 28 lodges and 14 tents at the zoo back in September 2019, but the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the project had to be put on hold.
Now the zoo is looking to the future with this enhanced 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.
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 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.
Snow leopard habitat
Chester Zoo recently unveiled plans to create a new snow leopard habitat. The vision was revealed when the attraction submitted a planning application to Cheshire West and Chester Council.
As part of the proposal, the zoo plans to create a new animal holding building, on-show and off-show animal enclosures and a public viewing area. It will be built at an existing enclosure at the eastern edge of the site. It currently houses a Blesbok habitat and Wetland Bird Nursery, which are being relocated to the Conservation Breeding & Management Area (CBMA) located on Caughall Road.
A statement submitted with the planning application reads: "The plan is designed to enhance our position as one of the world’s best conservation, animal and leisure attractions between now and 2030. Building on the success of our ground-breaking islands habitats which first opened in 2015 to bring South East Asia to life in Cheshire, the remainder of the zoo will be sensitively transformed through the creation of large scale themed zones.
"As a leading tourist attraction, it is imperative that we continue to invest and improve our facilities for excellent education, animal welfare and visitor satisfaction. The scheme proposal is for the development of a new snow leopard habitat.
"The development includes an animal holding building, on-show and off-show animal enclosures and a public viewing area. The area will be accessed by the public via an existing footpath from within the zoo."
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