Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group has announced the purchase of Bristol Zoo’s former West Car Park site from the Bristol Zoological Society. The brownfield site has lain dormant since Bristol Zoo Gardens closed its doors in September 2022 to facilitate a new conservation-focused zoo at the Wild Place Project in South Gloucestershire. The acquisition will see the delivery of 62 luxury new homes, comprising seven mews houses and 55 one and two-bed apartments, in the desirable Clifton area of Bristol.
Hill’s development will deliver much-needed new housing, including 20% affordable homes to the area in a thoughtful architectural style that complements the surrounding Georgian mansions of Clifton. Planning permission was granted for the development in December 2022. The decision was subject to an unsuccessful judicial review challenge, and planning therefore remains granted.
Andy Hill, Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, commented: “This is an important site for the city of Bristol, both in terms of redeveloping a former part of the historic zoo and providing high-quality accommodation in such an architecturally rich part of the city. We are pleased to have completed our acquisition of the site, and now look ahead to delivering a development that reflects the heritage of Clifton while also addressing the housing needs of the local area.”
The proceeds from the sale will be used by the Bristol Zoological Society to fund the first phase of construction at Wild Place Project (to be called Bristol Zoo Project). This will include the creation of a new central African forest area, with construction expected to start in 2024.
Hill’s development of the former West Car Park site is situated opposite the old Bristol Zoo Garden’s site and former pavilion. The new development will thoughtfully blend in and reflect the design style of the Georgian mansions lining the streets of Clifton, which historically housed merchant families and has long been the most sought-after area in Bristol.
Showcasing Hill’s commitment to sustainability, the forthcoming development will be built to high environmental standards, incorporating energy-efficient features such as photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps, and green roofs.
Justin Morris, Chief Executive at Bristol Zoological Society comments: “It is great to see the progress being made on the redevelopment of this historically important location, offering new, sustainable and affordable housing for Bristol”.
Hill’s acquisition of the West Car Park site represents further growth in Bristol and the South West for the company. Current schemes include McArthur’s Yard, a major residential scheme of 142 apartments as part of the Bristol dockside regeneration, and Hengrove Bookends in South Bristol, a development of 53 homes which will form the gateway to a wider development of over 1,400 homes by Bristol Council.
