Edinburgh Zoo is Scotland's second most popular paid-for visitor attraction (after Edinburgh Castle). The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the organisation that owns Edinburgh zoo, claims to play a vital role in conservation of endangered species, like chimpanzees from East Africa and other primates.
Corstorphine Hill (map), which borders the zoo, is a haven for local wildlife with its rich mix of natural habitats, including Edinburgh's largest woodland.
The RZSS has ambitious plans to develop Edinburgh Zoo's exhibits over the next years to include four biomes: grasslands, woodlands, oceans and wetlands, and tropical rainforest. However, it needs money, and land.
Having won Edinburgh council support to develop plans for housing on the western side of its property last year, the zoo is now looking to acquire a 1.37ha parcel of Council-owned land to the east of its property within the Corstorphine Hill nature reserve. In exchange, it would return a 1.88ha slice of existing zoo property, currently part of its African Plains exhibit, at the top of the hill on the North East side of its grounds. (View zoo land swap map PDF).
Because the venue is on a hill, the RZSS says that it needs the park land on the lower slopes of Corstorphine Hill "to meet health and safety and disability legislation requirements in relation to the maximum slope acceptable and the need to provide separate routes for vehicles and pedestrians."
However, critics say the land swap deal is unnecessary.
Donald Gorrie, Secretary of The Friends of Corstorphine Hill, explains why he is opposed to the land swap deal and further expansion of Edinburgh Zoo onto Corstorphine Hill.
- Who are the Friends Of Corstorphine Hill?
- On a personal level, why is Corstorphine Hill so important to you?
- How long have the Friends been following the zoo's expansion plans?
- What is it about the zoo's expansion plans that you are opposing?
- What will be lost by the zoo's land swap plans if they get the go-ahead?
- Edinburgh Zoo says its land swap is necessary because it needs £72 million for its 20-year "master plan". What is the alternative?
- Could the zoo do more to raise awareness about local wildlife on Corstorphine Hill?
Who are the Friends Of Corstorphine Hill?
The Friends were formed over 10 years ago, bringing together people who were interested in Corstorphine Hill. We co-operate with the Council Rangers service in maintaining and improving the Hill as a Local Nature Reserve and a place for the public to enjoy, we maintain with voluntary effort and open to the public the previously neglected walled garden of Hillwood House and open the Tower to visitors and we campaign for the benefit of Corstorphine Hill as a public asset for enjoyment. We have more than 500 subscribing members and a great many more supporters and well-wishers.
On a personal level, why is Corstorphine Hill so important to you?
From the age of 6 I was brought up near Corstorphine Hill and walks on the hill were a regular enjoyment. My first local political campaign was to stop the development of housing in and around Hillwood House. As a Councillor I helped to oppose developments in the open area, part of which the Zoo now seeks to develop and to have the whole area incorporated in the Corstorphine Hill public park.
How long have the Friends been following the zoo's expansion plans?
For at least 5 years we have been concerned about the zoo's plans for its east and west sides. In recent years the focus has been on the zoo's plan to build 100 or more houses along its western boundary which were a big issue in the city's Local Plan. At the Enquiry we co-operated with the local Community Councils and Corstorphine Trust and managed to get the zoo's plans reduced in scale. Recently the zoo's plan to acquire 1.5 hectares of the open public Local Nature Reserve land beyond its eastern boundary has come to the fore as the main issue of dispute between the zoo and the local community organisations.
What is it about the zoo's expansion plans that you are opposing?
We oppose the zoo acquiring 1.5 hectares of the land on Corstorphine Hill, which is owned by the Council and forms part of the Corstorphine Hill Local Nature Reserve and Green Belt. If the Council allows this precedent, all public open spaces will lose their defence against proposals for developing them by any other body.
We are happy for the zoo to develop in imaginative ways within its existing boundary, but we do not believe their claim that without this particular block of land they cannot produce a zoo up to the best modern standards and they will not be able to use the top third of the zoo's site. There are other ways of enabling people to get around on the zoo site by well-sited roads, providing a funicular or internal bus service or modern systems of getting wheelchairs up steps or slopes.
What will be lost by the zoo's land swap plans if they get the go-ahead?
An important feature of Corstorphine Hill Local Nature Reserve is the sloping field of rough unspoiled ground with lots of gorse and wild plants, few trees and lots of paths and open areas attractive to walkers, children and dogs; this extends from Corstorphine Road, with an entrance opposite Balgreen Road, up to Rest and Be Thankful, adjoining the back of Murrayfield Hospital, the Zoo and Murrayfield Golf Course. It is quite different in character from the main wooded part of Corstorphine Hill and is unique in the western part of Edinburgh.
The Zoo seeks to acquire half of the upper section of this part of the Hill, leaving a very narrow section of public land squeezed between the Zoo and the Golf Course. This would greatly reduce the fun which the public get from exploring this area. This area is particularly important because of the many rare species of plants found there, which do not exist elsewhere in this part of Scotland; these would be lost if the Zoo develops the area with new roads, paths, buildings and car parks.
Unlike the Zoo, the Friends have done extensive research into these plants and into the local badgers. The thin slivers of land the zoo is offering as an exchange for this area are of little use or value
Edinburgh Zoo says its land swap is necessary because it needs £72 for its 20-year "master plan". What is the alternative?
The Zoo's propaganda has confused you. The Zoo plans to build 80 or so houses on the western part of its ground to bring in money towards its £70 million development scheme. Its plan to acquire the 1.5 hectares of public space to the east of the zoo is nothing to do with money. The zoo claims it is necessary to provide space for a road up to the top of the zoo, which, it alleges, cannot be provided legally within the existing area of the zoo. After examining the ground I cannot accept that the zoo's argument is in accordance with the facts on the ground or with the administrative possibilities.
Could the zoo do more to raise awareness about local wildlife on Corstorphine Hill?
The zoo talks well about interest in wildlife, but its actions have hitherto been contrary to the cause of wildlife on the hill. This current proposal would be damaging to wildlife. If the zoo wishes to have honest co-operation on wildlife or other issues regarding the hill, the Friends would be happy to co-operate with them.
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