South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes / Safari Zoo Closure
- Thread starter alfiethetortois
- Start date
Something that was ultimately overturned by the Cheshire West planning committee. The anti-zoo movement enjoys much less publicity here than it does in the States (or that it used to be here).
Probably, the Tebay venture will go ahead - they can use the marked animal welfare improvements since they took over as a point in their favour.
I wonder what the next chapter will bring there...
I would think ... for part that is true. Allthough, I must add the general outlook in Anglo-Saxon communities in generally somewhat more prone to (and admittedly in the US even more so - I would reserve another term there ..., but that seems to be experienced as perhaps devisive, where it is a reality that is more or less due to unmonitored social media action -).
I am not so hopeful ... here and I do not think the concept of paid / of site commercial holiday home venture is particularly an alternative option or in-road for any zoo facility venture (only as an off-shoot of the general operation)!
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
These ventures seem to be very much en-vogue at the moment.
Some amazingly high overnight rental figures are being banded about, which must make them very elitist and out of the reach of most zoo goers.
The new income stream must be very tempting, but the small sector of the population able and prepared to pay these sums must be both limited and easily saturated.
As with the rest of the hotel industry, the costs of keeping the standards of the accommodation high and serviced are considerable, and along with many others providing services, this sector stands to be hit hugely when the tax rises announced in the budget, start in April.
I was referring more to the existing South Lakes site rather than the new venture at a different location set up by the existing company(Cumbria Zoo Company) who have been running South Lakes Zoo Park up until it closed yesterday. It all seems rather mysterious exactly why they closed- no explanations have been given- or which animals(if any) they own themselves or will be moved to the new site. Where the other animals will move to or will any stay on site if they are owned by the company (ZIC) who own the land (and therefore the buildings?) itself. Exactly who will take over the site and what form will it then take, as either a zoo or some other venture entirely. A number of questions there and we await an outcome with interest.
@Pertinax, I am not sure on either Cumbria Zoo Co. or ZIC!
I would like to see the original or new business cases for either facility. Not that in the interest of open local government or transparency from either Cumbria Zoo Co or ZIC we will get any! Since, both are public / visitor dependent "zoological" instutions it is very much in the public eye and interest to know BC and site plans for either facility c.q. organisation. The fact that we know next to nothing here ..., is not a very good omen, methinks!
Laboratory 7
Well-Known Member
I don't know why people are confused by what is happening it's simple ZIC will be running the site alongside whoever they bring in to run it on their behalf. This is the same plan that ZIC have had from day one of owning the land and being the landlord,they just never expected czcl to fight so hard to keep running the zoo. As for the animals some will return to their owners of which some are in the UK and others in France and will be moved accordingly to agreement with the owners, the animals owned by ZIC when they bought everything off Mr Gill are theirs to do what they want.
As for the future I don't see it being any different even under ZIC, because the antis have decided they don't want the zoo because of it's past under Mr Gill and ZIC will not be able to get past its previous reputation because the antis won't let them,but then people do say karma is a tough mistress and I think that over the years we will see what a harsh mistress she is too ZIC.
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
The application for the zoo at Holmes Chapel wasn't overturned by the council, it is currently, still under consideration.
Laboratory 7
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing then that you know more than the owners, because there Facebook post of the 20th November implies that they can now focus on work to open the zoo in the new year.
I thought it also came under Cheshire East rather than Cheshire West.
Strathmorezoo
Well-Known Member
I do apologise, I wasn't aware of any update. I couldn't find anything in the local press,and not being on Facebook, I wouldn’t have seen it
Well I think that's a clearer idea about what will happen in this peculiar situation, than any other we have had so far...the question remains, where you say 'runnng the site', so will ZIC be restarting it as a zoo?
It was approved at the beginning of December. The delays were because of internal wrangling between the council's (professional) planning officers and the members of the local planning committee about whether the committee could approve or only recommend to the Strategic Planning Committee. Basically the officers felt it was inappropriate development but the councillors disagreed. There was a legal challenge but it was really about process rather than the principle, and came from people who have declared all applications for zoos should be rejected (which they are never going to get short of major changes to planning law).
Laboratory 7
Well-Known Member
I don't know how much clearer I can make it they will be running the site that closed on news years eve, I hope that clears any confusion up.
Jambi
Well-Known Member
Personally, I don't think it would be a good idea for ZIC to re-open the zoo on the same site. As we've seen with CZC's best efforts to distance themselves from the David Gill days, as long as it's in the same place and Gill is involved with ZIC in even the smallest capacity, the zoo will probably never escape that "Britain's worst zoo" reputation. No matter how many changes of name and management it has, people will always know it as "South Lakes Zoo" or "Barrow Zoo" or "That place where a dead lemur was found behind a radiator", and all of those past controversies and incidents will continue to hang over the zoo like a spectre.
As much as it pains me to say it because of the fond memories I have for South Lakes, it would probably be for the best if ZIC sells that land so it can be bulldozed for houses or converted back into farmland, then take the animals they own and start again somewhere else like CZC are attempting to do with their Tebay venture. Of course that won't make the antis go away, but a fresh start in a new place is probably the best thing that can be done to escape that stigma.
As much as it pains me to say it because of the fond memories I have for South Lakes, it would probably be for the best if ZIC sells that land so it can be bulldozed for houses or converted back into farmland, then take the animals they own and start again somewhere else like CZC are attempting to do with their Tebay venture. Of course that won't make the antis go away, but a fresh start in a new place is probably the best thing that can be done to escape that stigma.
Here is a brief overview of events at the zoo over time which may aid understanding for anyone interested.
South Lakes Safari Zoo: Timeline of ups and down ahead of closure
A couple of years ago CZC bid to buy the land off Gill, but they were outbid by ZIC who paid a higher price and agreed to give Gill (now known as Riviera) a stakehold.
Since then ZIC seems to want CZC out.
I distinctly remember ZIC locking CZC out of the entire zoo for 24 hours, while allowing Gill on site, for what they claimed was a breach of the lease.
I believe that CZC do not wish to have any association with Gill, which has in some ways forced the proposed move.
I find it very interesting that ZIC are very keen to insist that they will improve the zoo when CZC are no longer there claiming animal welfare to be the highest priority. Why didn't they chose to upgrade or improve anything when CZC was leasing the zoo off them, as surely there was still a duty of care.
Anyway, I shall watch with interest.
I do think that some kind of 'zoo' could re open sometime this year.
South Lakes Safari Zoo: Timeline of ups and down ahead of closure
A couple of years ago CZC bid to buy the land off Gill, but they were outbid by ZIC who paid a higher price and agreed to give Gill (now known as Riviera) a stakehold.
Since then ZIC seems to want CZC out.
I distinctly remember ZIC locking CZC out of the entire zoo for 24 hours, while allowing Gill on site, for what they claimed was a breach of the lease.
I believe that CZC do not wish to have any association with Gill, which has in some ways forced the proposed move.
I find it very interesting that ZIC are very keen to insist that they will improve the zoo when CZC are no longer there claiming animal welfare to be the highest priority. Why didn't they chose to upgrade or improve anything when CZC was leasing the zoo off them, as surely there was still a duty of care.
Anyway, I shall watch with interest.
I do think that some kind of 'zoo' could re open sometime this year.
Jambi
Well-Known Member
The zoo's Facebook page has put up an update about some of the animals and where they've been re-homed, though oddly the post doesn't actually name any of these zoos, just where in the country they each are. The Inca terns, white-faced whistling ducks, black-crowned night herons, roseate spoonbills, little egrets, cattle egrets and glossy ibis have been sent to a collection in Oxfordshire, the black sawns, coscoroba swans, bar-headed geese, common shelducks, ruddy shelducks, wood ducks and Mandarin ducks have been sent to an animal park in Central Scotland, and two red-ruffed lemurs named Pointy and Ben have been sent to a zoo in Somerset.
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ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
It it not in the slightest bit, odd!
It is always convention (and indeed nothing short of good manners), to allow the receiving zoo to announce ANY move.
It IS odd that they announced that the Lynx were to go back to Hamerton, before allowing Hamerton to say something first.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
This is not actually very clear at all, unless you have some knowledge of the processes.
To claim that 'they will be running the site', implies to the general reader that they will be running a zoo on it.
To make it as clear as you claim to have done, it should have been stated that before ANYONE can open a zoo on ANY site a Zoo Licence has to be obtained, following an inspection. This process cannot be started whilst a tenant with a valid zoo licence is still in occupation.
A Zoo Licence is individual and cannot be transferred.