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Part of Dudley Zoo could be demolished to create higher education facility

A part of Dudley Zoo could be demolished by Dudley Council as it seeks to move forward with its plans to create a higher education facility.

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Dudley Zoo

The controversial plans that have already felled the Dudley Hippodrome could now include the purchase of plots of land around Castle Hill including those owned by the zoo.

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Dudley Council is hoping to rubber stamp the scheme, which would include a compulsory purchase order (CPO) of land surrounding the Hippodrome that currently obstructs plans to build a three-storey health and life sciences higher education building.

If successful, Dudley Zoo staff car park, public areas surrounding the zoo and the road used by visitors known as Zoological Drive would all be earmarked for demolition.

Also set to be bulldozed is the land previously occupied by the Plaza Cinema, a privately owned martial arts club and a privately owned banqueting suite. Previous negotiations between the council and the owners to vacate the plots have been unsuccessful.

Dudley Council says it is now running out of time and has therefore initiated the compulsory purchase order.

It said: “Whilst the council has and will continue to, try and negotiate the acquisition of the private land required for the scheme by agreement, this may not be possible and so due to the delivery timescale required by the funding secured, it is now necessary for the council to exercise the use of its compulsory purchase powers.

“The CPO process is likely to take between 12-15 months if a public inquiry is necessary.”

The CPO follows a recent dispute between Dudley Council and Farmfoods over land that overlaps with the council’s plans for a new transport interchange.

The Hippodrome redevelopment is part of a partnership deal between Dudley College of Technology, The University of Worcester and Dudley Council which involves the demolition of the Hippodrome Theatre and the surrounding land and buildings to create a new higher education facility.

As part of a £25 million project, the university will oversee a nursing college which is expected to be up and running by the 2024 academic year.

However, compulsory purchase orders can take a long time to complete, especially if one of the parties decides to dig in their heels.

Director of Dudley Zoo, Derek Grove, said: “We have been in negotiations with Dudley Council for several months and remain confident we can reach an amicable agreement between both parties to avoid the need for a full CPO process.”