Hill Dickinson advises Chester Zoo on safari-style hotel and new Africa wildlife zone funding

The Banking team of commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has advised Chester Zoo on a funding package to support the development of an exciting new safari-style hotel and wildlife habitat.

The zoo’s new Africa zone will include a lodge-style hotel featuring 63 lodges of varying style and size, and an adjacent wildlife savannah with animals including giraffes, zebra, ostrich and antelope. 

Construction is already under way on the African habitat, and work on the hotel is due to start - subject to planning permission - later in 2023. 

Hill Dickinson banking partner Richard Capper and legal director Rebecca Layton, assisted by Becky Kirkham, led on the deal and acted for Chester Zoo to secure the funding package from lender, Santander UK. 

Rebecca Layton said:
“We are thrilled to have advised our longstanding client, Chester Zoo, on this exciting funding package, which will allow the zoo to build its new safari-style hotel and wildlife habitat. We all saw the devastating impact the pandemic had on charities and zoos across the country, so it’s great to see such an impressive project moving forward. The Banking team at Hill Dickinson is planning to adopt an animal at the zoo to celebrate!”

The funding package includes a ‘Green Loan’ facility designed to support construction of the hotel which, through a variety of sustainability measures, will be aligned with the Loan Market Association’s Green Loan Principles and be targeted to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate A rating.

The development is part of ongoing work by Chester Zoo over the next decade to align its wildlife habitats to the conservation work its teams undertake both in the zoo and across the world in support of its mission to prevent extinction.

Liz Carnie, corporate director at Chester Zoo, said: 
“Our new African zone and overnight accommodation will put a spotlight on a whole host of highly threatened species from the African continent.

“These important new additions to our zoo will ensure we can continue to attract visitors for years and years to come, which is key to funding our vital species-saving work long into the future.

“At a time when a million species are faced with extinction and global biodiversity under huge threat, these projects will give a major boost to our charity and the conservation work we carry out, here in Chester and right across the world.”

The lodge and the wildlife zone are both due to open to the public in spring 2025.

Debt advisory advice came from Tony Dean of Knights and Martin O’Shea of Addleshaw Goddard acted for Santander.