Zoo expansion plans... simples
ONE of the area’s biggest family tourist attractions has revealed expansion plans.
Bosses at Peak Wildlife Park in Winkhill want to install a marquee for educational visits and have relocated a snack shack and covered eating area.
The work will also involve using an agricultural building, along with associated landscaping and the rerouting of an existing public right of way to suit future proposals.
The improvements will mean the park is able to welcome schoolchildren for talks and workshops.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has approved the bulk of the scheme. But the wildlife park will need permission from Staffordshire County Council for the path diversion.
A decision report by district planning officer, Chris Johnston, said: “The proposal is required in connection with the long-term viability of the wildlife park and to improve existing facilities for both the visitors (in the case of the snack bar relocation and canopy seating area) and the welfare of animals and general operation of the park (storage).
“This will also provide new
facilities which would help provide further income like an education marquee. The marquee is required to provide additional accommodation to enable the Peak Wildlife Park to cater for additional school groups and other activities.
“Peak Wildlife Park hosts around 6,000 schoolchildren every year, with around 2,500 of those receiving speciallycreated talks and workshops.
“The lack of indoor space means the applicant has to regularly turn away schools.”
A document, submitted with the planning application, said the pandemic has “heightened the need for extra space”.
It adds: “The business is looking to respond positively to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic so that it can operate effectively post lockdown, while meeting Government-imposed recommendations and requirements.
“As a zoological attraction, the overheads of the business do not disappear as soon as the doors are closed, as the applicants have a duty to keep their animals fed, cleaned and provided with warm and comfortable housing.
“It is therefore imperative to the business that they are able to provide appropriate space to maintain its visitor numbers, while also maintaining compliance with Government requirements.”
A listed dwelling to the south has recently been purchased by the wildlife park, while the nearest neighbours are more than 100m to the south-west.
The proposed development “would not appear harmfully overbearing or lead to any loss of light or privacy issues due to the sufficient distance between the site and the nearest dwellings”, according to the plans.
Environmental health staff have not raised any concerns about the nearest residents being affected by any additional noise, but have recommended a condition restricting amplified sound and voice from the snack bar or schools’ marquee.