Conference centre and hotel bid at wildlife attraction

PLANS HAVE been set out for a conference centre, hotel and restaurants at Doncaster’s Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

Park bosses are set to appear before Doncaster Council licensing committee to apply for permission to sell alcohol at the new venues.

It is understood they are awaiting the outcome of the licensing hearing before plans are put forward for any potential construction.

The park currently holds three premises licences. One, granted in 2009, covers the restaurant and courtyard only, a second, granted in 2015, covers the whole site including the Crafty Badger retail store, and a third, granted in 2016, covers the large event area.

A number of objections have been voiced by residents living close to the park but they have not been made public by the council.

Plans also show the indoor conference centre would be used for sporting events – snooker, darts, martial arts and gymnastics have been listed as examples.

The proposals will mean no regulated entertainment will take place in outside areas after 10.30pm.

The application also sets out live music, which will be finished by 10.30pm outside and midnight inside the conference centre.

The park announced the expansion plan in 2017 and it was forecast then to bring in around £50m of investment and create more than 300 jobs.

Bosses have secured 150 acres of land adjacent to the site and are developing the plans, which they say have the potential to make it “one of the leading destinations in the UK”.

Councillors will decide the application at a virtual meeting on Monday July 6.