Plans have been lodged to demolish a 60-year-old shop and café within Chester Zoo that may hold dear memories for some.
The Fountain Restaurant opened in 1960 on ground formerly belonging to a riding school that overlooked a fountain and flower gardens planted with 2,000 roses and seasonal bedding.
Having once been a centrepiece of the zoo and a favoured picnic spot, the area became more of a backwater after the main entrance was relocated.
Now there are plans to demolish the building, latterly an ice cream parlour that also sells snacks, to replace it with a commercial offer linked to the new Madagascar Zone.
Details on the application form state: “The building is a two-storey brick and block work structure with monopitch bituminous felt roofing. It was built approximately 50 years ago. It has served as a restaurant, retail shop and staff canteen during that period.
“The building fabric is degrading and the building structure limits the usefulness of this area of the zoo. Demolition will create an area for construction of a commercial offer that is in keeping with the expanding Madagascar Zone – currently housing a recently completed Lemur enclosure – and comprising animal exhibits, play and education spaces.”
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Once razed, the building footprint will be levelled and made safe pending future works.
Information on the application form reveals: “The design of a further phase for the Zoo’s Madagascar Zone is currently being progressed. A full planning submission for buildings in this area will follow in due course.”
