New £20m wildlife conservation ‘staycation’ plans for Kirkby put forward
Plans have been lodged for a new £20mwildlife facility and holiday lodges near Kirkby.
A patch of land off Mawkin Lane, could end up being used for the project.
Applicant Ursula Davidson has submitted plans to Ashfield Council to turn the field into a ‘get-away-from-it-all’ tourism location, featuring 16 wildlife enclosures, 15 dedicated wildlife houses and 17 holiday lodges.
Plans say the project would offer a ‘unique wildlife conservation facility’ in the countryside setting and help to meet the ‘rising demand for ‘staycation’ type accommodation.
Documents say: “This will not only provide much-needed wildlife conservation, but will provide an educational resource for local residents as well as a magnetic draw for visitors outside the district.
“The rural location is both required to appropriately deliver wildlife conservation, and to create an attractive ‘get-away-from-it-all’ tourism offering within a countryside setting.”
Of the lodges, 15 of them will be double bedrooms and two will be single.
Guest accommodation would also feature in two of the wildlife houses.
The facility would be expected to host up to 23,300 overnight stays each year.
If plans are approved, the construction phase is expected to last around two years and would create around 60 full-time jobs during the construction period.
Plans say the operator of the site would work with local schools, colleges and training providers to offer apprenticeships, work experience, educational site visits and skills development.
Members of the public wrote into the council to show their support for the application, including people living outside of the area.
James Billington, from Cheshire, wrote: “This is a great way to preserve wildlife whilst bringing jobs and business to the local community.”
And Ross Lethbirdge, from West Bridgford, called it a ‘wonderful opportunity” for the local community’.
Plans do not currently state which animals and species would feature on the site.
According to documents, the facility would be available for the public on a pre-booked basis only, ‘limited to a single booking per day’, with the site mainly in use for those staying there for a break.
Access to the site would come from existing access to the field off Mawkin Lane, which connects to the wider road network via Cliff Lane and the B6019 Kirkby Lane.
Ashfield Council will decide on the application at a later stage.