Wildlife park looks to grow and attract more visitors
A WILDLIFE attraction near Ashbourne is planning to expand to help boost visitor numbers.
Peak Wildlife Park, at Winkhill, has submitted a planning application for a marquee for educational visits, a relocated snack bar, covered eating area and an agricultural building, along with landscaping and a rerouting of the public right of way.
The aim is to attract 200,000 visitors a year to the park, which employs 25 full-time and 24 part-time staff and is home to more than 150 animals, including some endangered species.
It is expected that three fulltime and six part-time jobs would be created by the proposed changes.
Members of Ipstones Parish Council have unanimously agreed to support the application.
Now a decision by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is expected by planners within the next three months.
In a statement, submitted with the application, planning consultant Rob Duncan says the site was acquired in 2015 and, in the first year of operating, attracted of 36,931 visitors.
“Various improvements led to a substantial increase in visitor numbers, which in 2019 totalled 168,104.
“Turnover has increased tenfold over that same period”, the application states.
Highlighting the need for improvements to the site to achieve the attraction’s visitor numbers target, Mr Duncalf said: “The proposed marquee is required in order to provide additional accommodation on the site to enable the Peak Wildlife Park to cater for additional school groups and other indoor activities.
“Peak Wildlife Park currently hosts about 6,000 schoolchildren every year (pre-covid), with about 2,500 of those receiving specially created talks and workshops.
“The lack of indoor space on the site means the applicant has to regularly turn away schools, as they are unable to accommodate more than 100 pupils a day, as most schools insist upon indoor facilities for both lunchtimes and workshops.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has only heightened the need for extra space, as there is a requirement for social distancing to be maintained, and for a safe environment to be provided.
“The business is looking to respond positively to the implications of the pandemic so that it can operate effectively post-lockdown.
“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. “The proposed marquee, snack shack and covered seating area will play a pivotal role in the growth of the business, by providing a valuable area of indoor space for educational purposes and other indoor activities, as well as undercover external seating, something which is in short supply within the park as a whole.
“The snack shack will likewise enable the park to continue to offer refreshments to visitors – a key component of its overall business model.
“The shack is already in situ on the site and is to be relocated where it will no longer have any adverse impact on the setting of the listed buildings.
“The addition of the marquee, snack shack and external covered seating area will enable the applicant to triple the number of schoolchildren they can accommodate on the site at any one time.
“The proposed marquee will also offer opportunities to host team building events to further diversify the park’s income stream, while also enabling the applicant to broadcast its strong conservation message.”
The lack of indoor space on the site means the applicant has to regularly turn away schools Rob Duncan