Travel & Tourism

Chester Zoo releases new images of its luxury overnight safari-style lodges

Bookings have now gone live ahead of the grand opening.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 28th January 2025

Artist impressions showing how Chester Zoo’s new overnight safari-style lodges will look have been revealed.

It’s been a long time coming, but the highly anticipated 51-lodge wildlife experience, called The Reserve, is finally set to open to the public at Chester Zoo this August after several years in the works, and these stunning new CGIs provide a glimpse of what visitors can expect.

The lodges have been crafted using natural and sustainable materials, with the décor being inspired by landscapes in Africa.

Guests can choose from a variety of different lodges, available for up to nine people.

Some of the lodges will be located at the side of a lake, while others will offer views of a private savannah-style habitat that are home to Northern giraffes.

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The new artist’s impressions also show the resort’s very-own restaurant, The Amboseli Restaurant, as well as the Tsavo Lounge, where guests will be able to enjoy freshly-prepared food and drinks on a lakeside terrace.

Those working on the “very special” project say a stay at The Reserve will help to fund Chester Zoo’s global conservation projects.

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Chester Zoo has released new images of its luxury overnight safari-style lodges / Credit: Supplied

“There’s nothing else quite like The Reserve at Chester Zoo in the UK,” commented Jamie Christon, who is the CEO at Chester Zoo, as the new images were released today.

“It’s so much more than just a short break – it’ll provide guests with unforgettable experiences and bring them face-to-face with extraordinary animals, all while helping to protect the wild world and fund powerful conservation action.”

It’s described as being “the ultimate African safari experience right here in the UK.”

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As mentioned, the grand opening of The Reserve at Chester Zoo is planned for August 2025, and bookings go on general sale at 9am tomorrow (Wednesday 29 January), with a range of packages available – including exclusive behind-the-scenes and animal experiences, the chance to interact with conservation experts and special out-of-hours access to the zoo.

Find out more and book your stay on the Chester Zoo website here.

Featured Image – Supplied

Travel & Tourism

The reason why Stockport station has been temporarily renamed to ‘Scottport’

Danny Jones Danny Jones Why has Stockport train station has been renamed to 'Scottport'?

Anyone passing through Stockport station this morning may have been a bit confused and potentially panicked that they got on the wrong train after seeing the name ‘Scottport’ out the window.

But fear not, they arrived at their destinations as intended and it wasn’t just a badly spelt new sign either – here’s why…

You may or may not have heard that North West broadcaster Zoe Ball recently finished her final show as the host of BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show, having spent six years in the popular radio slot.

This Monday (27 January) was her replacement’s first day at work and if you haven’t already put two and two together, we’ll happily walk you the rest of the way there.

With fellow radio veteran Scott Mills being chosen as her replacement, the Eastleigh-born presenter made his debut as the new Breakfast Show host to kick off not only a new week but a new era – and to mark the occasion, Stockport railway station has changed its name for Scottport for the day.

As far as we know, the former Radio 1 has no other connection to Greater Manchester or SK in particular, but the route does connect the BBC’s Broadcasting House in the capital to their Northern hub in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays.

Having stepped away from Radio 1 back in 2022 a whopping 24 years, Mills previously replaced Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Radio 2.

The 51-year-old stood in for Ball back in September 2024 after she took a few weeks off which looks to have proven a more than worthy trial shift as he now takes over the early morning slot full-time.

Speaking from the Radio 2 helm for the first time, Mills began by saying: “As a radio presenter and a radio fan all my life, I’m still finding it quite hard to process that this is happening, if I’m honest.

“If I think too much about the previous occupiers of this show it becomes mind-blowing to me for a kid who wanted to be on the radio, but wasn’t sure he had the self-confidence to be able to actually do it.”

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This, of course, isn’t the first time a similar rail-related PR stunt like this has been carried out as Brighton train station famously changed its name to ‘Blyton’ last year as it welcomed back 14-year-old Paralympian, Bly Twomey, following her double bronze medal success.

Meanwhile, Trevor Nelson (who presented in the evenings from Monday to Thursday) will now replace Mills as the presenter of the 2-4pm weekday afternoon show from today onwards.

Not everyone has welcomed the change, however, as many listeners switched off within minutes of the latter’s first show after taking issue with his first song choice: ‘Rock DJ’ by Robbie Williams, who later came on the phone to congratulate him.

What do you make of the appointment – is Scott Mills a good fit and will you be listening?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — El Pollock/Helen K (via Geograph)/@natewwlie (via X)

Travel & Tourism

Government backs Greater Manchester’s plan for a non-charging clean air zone

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Greater Manchester’s plan for the introduction of a non-charging clean air zone has been backed by the Government.

Defra and the Department for Transport (DfT) were said to have “rigorously assessed” an investment-led plan proposed by local Councils, and concluded that it will meet legal obligations to reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution.

This decision comes after Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) published insights of non-charging plans back in December 2023

After much deliberation, the decision now means that drivers in Greater Manchester will not face additional charges, as the area is instead set to benefit instead from 117 new lower and zero-emission buses in a £86 million scheme to help clean up the region’s air.

What was the Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone?

Need bringing up to speed a bit first? The Clean Air Zone was to initially hand motorists daily charges of up to £60 for some of the most polluting vehicles on Greater Manchester‘s roads.

But many will remember that the deadline for the scheme had been put on hold until while the plan was referred back to the Government for “urgent review” in January of last year, following huge backlash and after then Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded that it was “completely unworkable” for the region.

The Government agreed to delay the deadline for the scheme until 2026, but local leaders wanted to scrap all charges and help to fund vehicle upgrades instead.

GMCA then set out evidence supporting an investment-led, and, crucially for residents and motorists, a non-charging Clean Air Plan back in June 2022 – which it said was “the best solution” to address the roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) problem.

The Government has backed Greater Manchester’s plan for a non-charging clean air zone / Credit: The Manc Group | Flickr

While local authorities in other areas have found that a Clean Air Zone is the best route to cutting nitrogen dioxide pollution, proposals submitted to the Government included evidence that Greater Manchester can achieve compliance with legal limits faster but without charging.

The decision now means that the initial concept of a ‘Clean Air Zone’ will not go ahead in Greater Manchester.

Instead, there will be a fleet of new buses and traffic-calming measures to improve air quality in the region, as well as £8 million put towards support moving the region’s taxi fleet to ‘cleaner’ vehicles, and up to £22 million allocated for the administration, delivery, monitoring, and other costs associated with all of this.

Local leaders have also been told they can review and cancel contracts relating to the Clean Air Zone – such as signs and cameras dotted across the region.

“We are grateful to this Government for listening to Greater Manchester and for this vote of confidence in our investment-led approach to cleaning up our air,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, as the plans were approved.

“This is the right decision for Greater Manchester and it gives people here the certainty they have long needed.

“Because we have implemented the first phase of the Bee Network on time and on budget, the Government clearly trusts us to deliver and has seen the evidence that our approach is working.

“The Bee Network is cleaning up our air and keeping the cost of travel as low as possible.

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“Its success is allowing us to remove a big weight of worry off the shoulders of people who need to drive as part of their job.”

Featured Image – Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)

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