Objections made over bid to build new elephant houses at safari park
Objections have been raised to proposals to build vital new animal houses at the West Midland Safari Park which could ensure that elephants remain at the park.
Park bosses want permission for the new buildings for the elephants together with remodelling of the outdoor area as the current facilities are inadequate both now and for the future expansion of the herd.
Officials with Wyre Forest District Council have recommended members of the planning committee approve the application at a meeting on Tuesday(May 16).
But two letters of objection have been submitted raising concerns about the size of the project which people living nearby claim will change the whole landscape of the Green Belt site and part of the Severn Hills.
They also say that a massive 26 foot high and 26 foot wide concrete tree will be directly in line of sight of their properties and fear an internal stairway will include surveillance cameras as used in Disneyland and that this would be "an invasion of their privacy".
Householders have now called for a rethink of where the proposed "tree" is sited.
They are also concerned about a proposed new pool and continuous noise and vibration from a planned waterfall as well as illumination from skylights at night.
In a report council officials have said that the park is one of the district's major tourist attractions and has been in existence since the 1970s.
The area subject to the application relates to the wildlife part of the park where elephants have existed for many years.
The site is located within the West Midlands Green Belt and is covered by a Tree Preservation Order and officials have said that the proposed building would be set into the existing hillside and appropriately landscaped.
Bewdley Town Council has objected to the proposal and recommended refusal due to the effect on the visual amenity of neighbouring properties and proposed installation of a large artificial Baobab tree with viewing tower.
This members have claimed would potentially result in the loss of privacy to nearby properties.
They said that a recommendation to approve a previous application was made subject to the conditions that the proposals for the viewing tower were scrapped and the Baobab tree re-sited together with a reduction in the noise of a waterfall.
Town councillors have said that they fully support the desire to ensure that the elephants are able to live happily within a safe and stimulating environment, but feel that compromises are necessary to ensure that people are not adversely affected.
Officials have said that the landscaping for the site is good but that new trees and shrubs around the proposed elephant house should be protected to prevent them being destroyed.
In a report they have said that the proposed concrete structure will be smaller than surrounding trees and that fears about it being used as a viewing platform or surveillance equipment is unfounded.
privacy or amenity. The supposition by the neighbours of internal access as a
They have also said that the waterfall will only be operational when the reserve is open and will not run after 7pm on any night and that lighting in the elephant houses will only be required until 7pm in the summer months and 5pm in winter.
