Plans for new facilities at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown – to house 2 very special brown bears – has been signed off by the Isle of Wight Council, with the bears set to arrive on the Isle of Wight shortly.
County Hall approved the Sanctuary’s application for a multifunction space with a rooftop viewing terrace, bear house and isolation building at the popular tourist attraction on Culver Parade.
The new structures – which are already well under construction – will cater for 2 European brown bears – Benji and Balu.
It is also hoped the facilities will ‘bring visitors, school children, corporates and communities into the bears’ world’ to share their ‘amazing journey’.
The isolation building will be used for quarantine, health checks and behavioural observation.
An officer report said:
“The proposed development would represent an unusual, but modern and functional design and would represent an investment into the local and wider tourism offer in Sandown.
“The proposal is therefore considered appropriate for this location and is recommended for approval, subject to the conditions as outlined in this report.”
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The council attached 4 conditions, with aims including ensuring ‘appropriate means of surface water drainage’.
