Chester Zoo "Superzoo"- rumours, confirmed etc...

zoogiraffe said:
I agree totaly with you but things are starting to make me worry alot more than i should be,i trust the management at Chester as they have a great job of transforming the zoo to what it is today but i just don`t trust the people they are bringing in to run this project.
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The problem is there is not many companys out there with the experience of such projects (designing wise).
 
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taun said:
The problem is there is not many companys out there with the experience of such projects (designing wise).
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It is a bit of a problem but my main concern is when you have a person involved in a project who consults people as to what they think about a design and when told its not liked or wanted ignores them and still goes ahead(i.e the Glass Slug).
 
zoogiraffe said:
It is a bit of a problem but my main concern is when you have a person involved in a project who consults people as to what they think about a design and when told its not liked or wanted ignores them and still goes ahead(i.e the Glass Slug).
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True, true. I suppose we are just going to have to wait and see.
 
The thing is at the end of the day Chester zoo is the client, and they will have the final say on the plans drawn up, so ultimately it will be Chester who will be responsible for the design of the final exhibit.
 
kiang said:
The thing is at the end of the day Chester zoo is the client, and they will have the final say on the plans drawn up, so ultimately it will be Chester who will be responsible for the design of the final exhibit.
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You can't build something that doesn't work! Working in the construction industry you will be surprised at some of the things the client asks for that cannot be done (or would cost twice their budget).

Yes Chester should have the final say, but we do not know what chester asked them to do, they could of been asked to draw some ideas up (and chester have picked this one), we just don't know.
 
That is very true but at the end of the day the zoo management are accountable to the members,so if enough members objected to the plan it could be stopped in theory by the membership of the zoo but thats very unlikely as most of the members and i don`t include the ones on this forum couldn`t careless about the zoo as long as they get in free to the zoo when they turn up,to prove my point out of a membership of over 25,000 adults only about 60-80 turned up for the AGM.
 
zoogiraffe said:
That is very true but at the end of the day the zoo management are accountable to the members,so if enough members objected to the plan it could be stopped in theory by the membership of the zoo but thats very unlikely as most of the members and i don`t include the ones on this forum couldn`t careless about the zoo as long as they get in free to the zoo when they turn up,to prove my point out of a membership of over 25,000 adults only about 60-80 turned up for the AGM.
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It all depends on the amount of information that is provided. It would be quite possible for the zoo's management to produce an outline of the plans and to arrange a consultation exercise with the members - if they felt it was important to do so. I agree that the majority of members would probably be no more than mildly curious.

Alan
 
zoogiraffe said:
That is very true but at the end of the day the zoo management are accountable to the members,so if enough members objected to the plan it could be stopped in theory by the membership of the zoo but thats very unlikely as most of the members and i don`t include the ones on this forum couldn`t careless about the zoo as long as they get in free to the zoo when they turn up,to prove my point out of a membership of over 25,000 adults only about 60-80 turned up for the AGM.
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That's interesting! Is management indeed "accountable" to the members as though the members were stock holders? Can the membership fire the managers? I've never heard of this.
 
In the 1980s there was a dispute between the director Dr Michael Brambell and some members of the NEZS council. The result was the resignation of the director. Some members called an extraordinary general meeting to vote on the subject. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour of Dr Brambell, so the zoo council resigned en-masse and were then invited to carry on for a few weeks until the AGM when a new council was elected.

So members do have a say in the runing of the zoo but as zoogiraffe has said, most don't really care.

The zoo is run by the zoo council who are elected by the members.
 
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bongorob said:
In the 1980s there was a dispute between the director Dr Michael Brambell and some members of the NEZS council. The result was the resignation of the director. Some members called an extraordinary general meeting to vote on the subject. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour of Dr Brambell, so the zoo council resigned en-masse and were then invited to carry on for a few weeks until the AGM when a new council was elected.

So members do have a say in the runing of the zoo but as zoogiraffe has said, most don't really care.

The zoo is run by the zoo council who are elected by the members.
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Interesting to read. I knew members had a say because we are allowed to vote on certain issues, but didn't think that it the members had such power.
 
Zooplantman said:
That's interesting! Is management indeed "accountable" to the members as though the members were stock holders? Can the membership fire the managers? I've never heard of this.
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Chester zoo is owned and run by the North of England Zoological Society, which is a charitable trust. Like all charities in England and Wales it is regulated by the Charity Commission. The zoo Council is the board of trustees of the charity and also the board of directors of the commercial business of the zoo, which provides the charity with its main source of income. The Council publishes the Annual Report and Accounts to the members before the AGM (which can be downloaded from the website) and also sends them to the Charity Commission. Council members are formally elected to serve for fixed terms by the membership at the AGM. The Council can hire and fire the management of the zoo.

Alan
 
Thanks everyone...I've never known a situation like this (well not since zoo memberships of the 19th century zoos...which I can't say I knew first hand ;) )
Very interesting!
 
Zooplantman said:
Thanks everyone...I've never known a situation like this (well not since zoo memberships of the 19th century zoos...which I can't say I knew first hand ;) )
Very interesting!
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I think that all the English & Welsh zoos which are registered as charities, and therefore get some tax breaks, are run in this way; although there may be some variations in the terms on which the charitable trust was set up.
Other Trusts include
  • ZSL (Regents Park & Whipsnade)
  • Bristol, Clifton and the West of England Zoological Society
  • Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (Paignton, Newquay & Living Coasts, plus Slapton Ley nature reserve)
  • East Midlands Zoological Society (Twycross)
  • Dudley & West Midlands Zoological Society
  • Marwell Preservation Trust
  • Aspinall Foundation (Howletts & Port Lympne)
  • Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (Slimbridge, Martinmere, Arundel etc)
  • Zoological Society of Wales (Welsh Mountain)
The relevant laws are different, but the basic organisations of the Scottish Zoological Society (Edinburgh & Highland Wildlife Park) and the Durrell Trust in Jersey are similar.

Alan
 
kiang said:
Found this article with larger pictures of the outdoor area and it looks as if the water ride comes out of the biome and back in again and what looks like some outdoor enclosures surrounding the building, there is a first picture of what inddors too my look like.

Bio-domes set to provide animal ark at Chester Zoo - Building Design
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It looks a bit like the Bush at Arnhem but on a much bigger scale if it gets built you will need a day just to do this building.
 
Sorry to bump such an old thread but I just found this news item dated a few weeks ago and couldn't find more info on ZooChat. (If I missed a thread could someone point me in the right direction please?)

Chester Zoo Biodome Project is given go-ahead - Chester Chronicle

I'm not sure I understood what the plan is for tbh. I understood the Biome plans that Edinburgh Zoo had, but this Chester plan seems to be one massive futuristic Biodome building with themes within. Is this right? Is this to encompass the current zoo or is it something seperate?
 
Secret Squirrel said:
Sorry to bump such an old thread but I just found this news item dated a few weeks ago and couldn't find more info on ZooChat. (If I missed a thread could someone point me in the right direction please?)

Chester Zoo Biodome Project is given go-ahead - Chester Chronicle

I'm not sure I understood what the plan is for tbh. I understood the Biome plans that Edinburgh Zoo had, but this Chester plan seems to be one massive futuristic Biodome building with themes within. Is this right? Is this to encompass the current zoo or is it something seperate?
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There's an entire Chester Zoo thread here on "Natural Vision" It will answer your questions
 
Thanks guys! There's so much Chester Zoo stuff I didn't know where to start really. Natural Vision isn't the wording I'd have looked for, and the search tool didn't bring that up so thanks. :D
 
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