Chester Zoo Natural Vision Plans

I'm not going to make any political points, but I am pleased by this decision. It looks as if there is just one big question remaining: will the zoo find the money?
Lord Heseltine has some money to give out for schemes involving job creation in the English regions, but much less than the RDAs used to have. I wonder if the zoo is eligible for help from the EU or whether there are other funding streams available from private, charitable or commercial sources?

Alan
 
I do hope that they can find the cash to do this. So far the zoo has passed planning permission twice (the second at a higher level), it would be a shame if the project couldn't happen now, at what effectivly is the last hurdle (I would imagine).
 
If the funds continue to be a problem, let's at least hope we'll see affordable elements of Natural Vision come to reality, but when the zoo are still putting projects that are small compared to the likes of Heart of Africa (such as the next phase of Islands in Danger) on hold due to a lack of funds, it doesn't bode well.

Unfortunately the first part of the entire scheme doesn't involve animals at all; it was a stipulation that the car park and access route changes proceed before all else.
 
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SMR said:
If the funds continue to be a problem, let's at least hope we'll see affordable elements of Natural Vision come to reality, but when the zoo are still putting projects that are small compared to the likes of Heart of Africa (such as the next phase of Islands in Danger) on hold due to a lack of funds, it doesn't bode well.

Unfortunately the first part of the entire scheme doesn't involve animals at all; it was a stipulation that the car park and access route changes proceed before all else.
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First of all, awwww :( about the no animals in the first part. Second, when they say they don't have the funding for IiD next phase, is that not just because they are saving every penny they can for HoA?

I know you like your birds SMR, but lets face it I think HoA will be a much greater crowd puller than the second phase of IiD, therefore I would imagine they would want to get that done a.s.a.p, when the can use additional revenue from HoA for projects like the future phases of IiD or RoRA. (In my opinion anyway :D)
 
Javan Rhino said:
when the can use additional revenue from HoA for projects like the future phases of IiD or RoRA. (In my opinion anyway :D)
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I wonder just how much the maintenance and running costs of RoA will be and just how much will be left over?
 
zooman said:
I wonder just how much the maintenance and running costs of RoA will be and just how much will be left over?
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That is a good point. I would imagine that it would just depend on how many visitors it would draw. I know that the zoo's overall aim is conservation, but would they build something so elaborate if any income was going straight on maintenance. I would imagine there will be a profit margin somewhere, since they could make a brilliant enclosure for a fraction of the price.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Second, when they say they don't have the funding for IiD next phase, is that not just because they are saving every penny they can for HoA?
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That may have something to do with it, but remember that the zoo still has a set annual budget for developing existing areas, and this year it looks like they'll be nothing left for the Islands In Danger birds of paradise or the children's party area where the kangaroos currently are (hooray!), after the expense of the African painted dogs, Spirit of the Jaguar and giant otter developments.
Javan Rhino said:
I know you like your birds SMR, but lets face it I think HoA will be a much greater crowd puller than the second phase of IiD...
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Well yes, but the bird collection really is becoming an issue, so many aviaries have been lost that there's a larger number of birds off-show than there is on, and that makes no sense at all because the zoo still has to feed and care for them. At least if they were on-show somewhere, there would be some visitors who would go specifically to see them and we know how attractive a good, inexpensive bird exhibit can be (reference the Tsavo African Aviary).

Incidentally, if you have a look through all the HoA planning documents there are detailed explanations of its energy consumption plan and its environmental controls, for example governing the amount of solar radiated heat during the summer months. The heating plant will run on sustainable bio-fuels, but of course there are other maintenance issues, such as paying someone with a squeegee to clean all that glass!
 
SMR said:
but of course there are other maintenance issues, such as paying someone with a squeegee to clean all that glass!
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Hehe, that last line made me giggle :D.

I didn't know there were so many birds off-show, (I knew there were a few). I do like birds myself (always seem to make a nice photo :))
 
I think it amounts to over half the zoo's collection is presently off show. I'm sure SMR has a better idea than myself.

It seems people got ahead of themselves with the prospect of Heart of Africa and didn't stop to think about the funding of such a large project. If I recall correctly they need over £110m. Which is a huge amount of money for a zoo to find, even at the best of times.

Maybe Heart of Africa should be something to look at again in 10-15 years. If they can not fund small scale projects then things need to be looked at again.
 
Will the H.o.A have free range birds in it ? and also is the Africa Savannah zone a walking trail? I tried to find the savannah plans but had no luck?
 
The Heart of Africa will have free-flying birds, but of course species will not be decided until much further down the line.

The African Savannah plans are (as far as I know) not yet finalised, but all the information I have seen suggests each of the large zones will be walk-around but often including some sort of 'ride' - along the lines of the waterbus ride in HoA.
 
lee456 said:
Will the H.o.A have free range birds in it ? and also is the Africa Savannah zone a walking trail? I tried to find the savannah plans but had no luck?
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Design and Access statement Parts 9.51-9.64 page 9 for proposed design of the savannah zone.


Case File
 
I really hope I will be proven wrong , but I would not expect to see either of Bristol or Chester Zoo's major development plans happening in the next few years .
 
Nor me (sadly). I was hoping for great things from Bristol in particular as I believe they are quite a 'wealthy' society in their own right and their developments are usually top class. But I fear the whole thing- the Conservation Park- may slip back indefinately now- hope I am wrong though.
 
Pertinax said:
But I fear the whole thing- the Conservation Park- may slip back indefinately now- hope I am wrong though.
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But surely it's surprising Chester would have this attitude. They're normally very keen to change things as quickly as possible. It seems strange to me that a zoo like Chester would do it slowly. Guess we'll have to be patient.....
 
Goretex said:
They're normally very keen to change things as quickly as possible. It seems strange to me that a zoo like Chester would do it slowly.
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Sadly, desire has nothing to do with it. You may have noticed that there is a recession, which has wiped out the chances of either of these projects happening. There just isn't the money out there. End of story!
 
sooty mangabey said:
Sadly, desire has nothing to do with it. You may have noticed that there is a recession, which has wiped out the chances of either of these projects happening. There just isn't the money out there. End of story!
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These projects will happen I think (at least Heart of Africa) - It's a setback, but after spending so much on planning, and then getting the planning permission, I doubt they'll want to sweep it under the carpet. They'll just have to try and get their funding up in other places. It's just when it will happen, rather than if, in my opinion.
 
Javan Rhino said:
These projects will happen I think (at least Heart of Africa) - It's a setback, but after spending so much on planning, and then getting the planning permission, I doubt they'll want to sweep it under the carpet. They'll just have to try and get their funding up in other places. It's just when it will happen, rather than if, in my opinion.
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I wish I shared your optimism! In Chester's case, the investment in planning was a gamble, but, probably, a good gamble... nobody could have foreseen the depth of this recession, nor the subsequent (and very rapid) demise of the regional development agencies. It is inconceivable that Chester will be able to build Heart of Africa to anything like its projected scale without external funding; it is even more inconceivable that such funding will be available from any government body within the coming years. This is not a matter of anything being swept under the carpet. Rather, it is the reality of the situation in which we currently find ourselves - unless Chester are sitting on a hidden stash of £100 million. I very much hope I am proved wrong, but I do not think I will be.

In Bristol's case, one cannot help but feel that the ambition, though laudable, was never going to be shown to be justified. There are enough zoos which have started small, and then moved along very rapidly, to act as a role model for the development of a new place. I just cannot understand why it was ever felt to be a good idea to plan a whole zoo in such detail in one move. Where has such a thing happened in Europe in the past 20 years? Valencia, certainly. Wholescale rebuilding of several places (Hannover, Gelsenkirchen). But it was just never going to happen in the way that was outlined at the project's launch.
 
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