Jungle centre at Pudsey Park to open this summer after six year closure
A tropical-themed visitor attraction is set to open in a city park this summer.
The glasshouse at Pudsey Park has been derelict for six years but will soon be transformed after planning permission was granted.
Junglebox Ltd has started work to convert the site into a rainforest and cafe.
A disused visitor centre will also be turned into a jungle-themed zoo where exotic animals will live.
Matthew Shaw, a director of Junglebox, said: “What Junglebox are all about is providing experiences that connect people with the natural world, through immersion first and foremost.”
Leeds City Council allowed the scheme to go ahead after dozens of letters of support were received.
A central clearing in the rainforest site is set to include a dedicated teaching space.
Mr Shaw said: “What we are looking to do here is to bring the excitement of a tropical rainforest to Pudsey, to the UK, so people can go in in and get lost in this place.”
Animals in the zoo centre would be able to behave as they would in their natural habitats, Mr Shaw said.
He said: “We’ve been very much galvanised by the local support we’ve had here and we have gained an understanding of what this place has meant to the people of Pudsey over many generations.
“There’s a real heritage here and we are feeling the responsibility of taking on that legacy.”