Planning application for new zoo in Cumbria denied

Rhinos at South Lakes Safari Zoo (c) BFF / C Lewis

In January, Born Free objected to the planning application from the previous tenants at South Lakes Safari Zoo to build another zoo approximately 30 miles away in Tebay, Cumbria.  

Investigations by Born Free, as well as those by Freedom for Animals and inspections by the local authority, revealed a catalogue of animal welfare failings over many years at South Lakes Safari Zoo, with the zoo finally closing its doors to the public in December 2024.  

However, earlier that same month, the previous tenants submitted a planning application intending to house a variety of wild animals at their holiday cottages site, including giraffe, honey badgers, zebras, red panda, sloth and lynx. 

Although unfortunately animal welfare concerns are not usually considered during planning applications, Born Free objected to the application on the grounds that it did not provide justifiable reason to build on a protected landscape and that the applicant should not be permitted to operate another zoo again due to the extensive list of concerns from their previous business at South Lakes Safari Zoo. 

The plans were later amended, removing the intention to build enclosures for wild animals and operate a zoo, instead focusing on housing domesticated animals on land adjacent to the existing holiday cottages. The previously constructed housing, which at one time was intended for some of the rhinos kept at South Lakes Safari Zoo, was approved in a separate planning application granted at the end of 2023, however to our knowledge, no rhinos are currently housed at the site. 

The recommendation for refusal was subsequently based on the development being considered to be not sustainable, the intensification in activity at the site resulting in harm to the National Park landscape and the potentially unsafe nature of the access route to the site. 

Chris Lewis, Born Free’s Captivity Research & Policy Manager said, “The saga of South Lakes Safari Zoo has continued for over a decade, despite the countless red flags and identified failings. It is hoped that this case will serve as an important lesson to licensing authorities and legislative bodies moving forward. The licensing and inspection of zoos within the UK must change. With the zoo now closed, and no new zoo opening. We hope that this is finally the end in what was a deeply disturbing yet entirely preventable story.” 

Read Born Free’s most recent investigation of South Lakes Safari Zoo