Blackpool Zoo given green light for new safari tent

Thursday, 7 May 2026 13:37

By Richard Hunt

Blackpool Zoo has been given the green light by planners to put up a huge safari tent on the site.

The tent will be used for public activities for visitors to the East Park Drive attraction, as well as for staff events.

The application was for the formation of hardstanding and the erection of a ‘safari’ tent, including a platform base for use as visitor event space.

A Planning and Design Statement on behalf of the application, stated: “The Safari Events Tent will provide a space for zoo functions and events as well as for corporate groups; for meetings and as a base for team building days.

“The new Events Tent is proposed to be erected in a central location within the Zoo, between the main café and the birds display arena.

“The selected site is currently heavily trafficked, predominantly hardstand and of minimal ecological value. It is also not visible outside of the zoo curtilage.

“The tent’s structure is easily demountable and will consist of a series of timber posts and frame built off a platform base, with no permanent or excavated foundations.”

The tent will be clad in treated canvas for the walls and roof. Each bay will feature roll up panels with large clear plastic windows to allow either/both sides of the tent to be opened.

Wooden doors will provide day to day access and the canvas walls will be sand coloured and the canvas roof green .

The statement added: “The building footprint is approximately 5.4m x 19.0m and has a height of approx. 2.6m to the eaves and approximately 3.8m to the ridge.

“It is therefore in keeping with the adjacent buildings and structures.”

A report by Blackpool Council’s Head of Development Management said: “Environmentally there would be very limited visual impact and there would be no impact on drainage, ecological impact or environmental impact.

“Socially there would be no impact on amenity, heritage impact, highway impact or increase in flood risk. The scheme would help contribute to continual development of a major tourist attraction and increase accessibility for visitors with disabilities

“The scheme is considered to represent sustainable development and on this basis, planning permission should be approved.“