Telford builders start work on over 50 new safari-style 'luxury lodges' for Chester zoo

The announcement by Telford-based McPhillips (Wellington) Ltd comes after the firm successfully completed a three-year project on the zoo's "Heart of Africa" attraction, designed to replicate habitats in east and central Africa, set to open in April.

According to Chester Zoo, the new safari lodges will allow visitors to get "up-close-and-personal" with animals at the attraction - with balconies looking out over a private savannah where giraffes are grazing just metres away.

Lodges at the development, known as The Reserve, will be available to book for short breaks when they open later this year, and are set to include exclusive behind-the-scenes animal experiences, as well as the chance to interact with conservation experts. 

The project also includes a two-storey "welcome building" featuring a signature onsite restaurant, Amboseli, and Tsavo Lounge.

Images of the accommodation were unveiled last month by Chester Zoo and bookings are now being taken, with first guests set to be welcomed from mid-August.

"Heart of Africa is a showcase for the zoo’s vital conservation work and the single biggest development they have ever undertaken, so establishing an excellent working relationship with the zoo and their expert animal care teams was vital," said McPhillips’ contracts director Andrew Dunham.

“Collaboration has always been the McPhillips’ way and we worked with the zoo from the earliest stages to develop a strong, open working partnership which was of benefit to both of us.

“Because of that strong relationship, we were able to complete a giraffe habitat early so that the zoo was able to care for the animals in the warmth before the onset of winter and also identify cost savings through value engineering.

“Working on a site which is home to some of the world’s rarest and most magnificent animals adds a whole new dimension to construction – and something we have now developed a real expertise in."

The new 13.5 acre attraction features 14 new buildings and animal habitats and a stunning open savannah, which will be home to a range of different species.

The company began work on the project in November 2022, with the main contract getting under way in April 2023.

McPhillips, which last year celebrated its 60th anniversary, is one of the region’s leading construction companies and has delivered more than 140 projects as principal contractor with a value of £300million in the last five years.