It has had to cut costs and make roles redundant as a result
Bristol Zoo Gardens Aerial CGI(Image: Perkins & Will)
The charity behind the Bristol Zoo has revealed it has spent more than £300,000 on legal fees, saying the charity has been pushed to a “crisis point” as a result.
The organisation said it had to spend the money to respond to campaigners who challenged the building of almost 200 new apartments on the site of the former Bristol Zoo.
The revelation come as the outcome of a judicial review, challenging Bristol City Council’s decision to grant planning permission to develop the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site in Clifton, is published today.
In a press release, the Bristol Zoological Society said the challenge, which was brought by the Save Bristol Gardens Alliance, has been dismissed by the Judge, who ruled that the council correctly followed all processes when approving the planning application.
Bristol Zoological Society’s Chief Executive, Dr Justin Morris, said: “We are really pleased with today’s decision. We have always been confident in our plans for Bristol Zoo Gardens, which will see the gardens accessible for free and bring much-needed housing to Bristol.”
Dr Morris adds: “However, we cannot state clearly enough, the impact and financial toll of these legal challenges and campaigns. In recent years we have faced a concerted campaign by individuals who have purposefully delayed the sale of Bristol Zoo Gardens, preventing us from accessing the proceeds and harming our charity and work.
“This means we have had to delay plans to construct new visitor infrastructure at our bigger site, Bristol Zoo Project, delaying new parking and access for cyclists and pedestrians.
“And responding to the campaigners’ lawyers has cost our charity more than £300,000 – vital funds which could have been spent on conservation and education.
“This money could have paid for 35,000 disadvantaged children to visit the zoo for free as part of our Access to Nature Programme or funded six years of our field conservation work in Bristol and the West of England, protecting highly threatened native species.
“As a result, this year we have had to cut costs dramatically and make roles redundant.
“We took the difficult decision to close Bristol Zoo Gardens as the Clifton site does not work as a modern conservation zoo. We believe zoos need to change, which is why we want to build a new zoo at Bristol Zoo Project, which is much larger, to provide excellent animal welfare in larger natural habitats.”
An artist’s impression of the Bristol Zoo Gardens, which would become a park after the area around is developed for housing.(Image: Bristol Zoological Society/Perkins & Will)
The conservation charity said its plans for the old zoo site in Clifton were approved by the Council in April 2023 and will see the old zoo accessible for free for the first time, with the creation of a new café, playground, a conservation Hub and 196 homes (20% affordable).
A judicial review was brought on by the Save Bristol Gardens Alliance who challenged the Council on three grounds against the city council’s planners
The organisation claimed that councillors were given incorrect information by planning officers before they gave planning permission for 198 new homes on the famous old botanical gardens site.
The challenge has been dismissed by the Judge who ruled that the Council correctly followed all processes when approving the planning application.
The Save Bristol Gardens Alliance said the review is “not by any means the end of the opposition to this dreadful plan”.
A spokesperson said: “Today’s Judicial Review decision turned on the lawfulness of the advice planners gave to Bristol’s Planning Committee ahead of its decision to grant planning permission.
“It was not a hearing on the merits of the proposed development. Had it been, we have little doubt that the Court would have blocked the Zoo’s planning permission outright.
“The proposal to destroy the former Clifton Zoo site with truly ugly high rise flats, car parking and a service road continues to be almost universally opposed.
“The proposed destruction of heritage trees, gardens and biodiversity would simply not be allowed if the planning application was being made today, as the rules on biodiversity net gain and emitted carbon have tightened since the application was first made.
“In spite of the Society’s spin to the contrary, it is entirely probable that the ‘assurances’ of free public access to what remains post-development will end after a matter of a few years, and Bristol will be left with a gated private development.
“This would be a tragic end to 200 years of beauty, heritage and history and is why our opposition will continue.
“We would like to record our huge gratitude and sincerest thanks to the many hundreds of Bristolians who so generously donated towards the costs of the Judicial Review for their confidence and continued support.
“We may have lost the day, but together we will save the Gardens.”
The press release added that the conservation charity has exchanged sale contracts on the Clifton site with independent housebuilder Acorn Property Group but is not able to complete the sale until it has secured planning permission free from legal challenge.