PLANS were approved last week to see the expansion of the Welsh Mountain Zoo.

The new plans will see a new wildlife skills and education centre erected at the southern end of the zoo.

The structure, set to be shaped like a dome, will house a new alligator beach, a tropical area with seven reptile exhibits, a pump house/butterfly exhibit, six species exhibits and a plant exhibit.

It will also include two lecture rooms, two classrooms, a WC’s and service rooms, reptile and insect rooms, two offices, keeper’s store, kitchen, mess and plant room.

The existing alligator beach building footprint would be retained but the building replaced and converted into a pump house/butterfly exhibit.

The pavilion on the southern boundary wall and the gateway and pillars to the northern boundary would be retained.

A new gated opening is proposed in the western boundary wall, 2.2m wide. The northern stone steps would be relocated to replace the altered southern steps and provide access to an external sensory garden.

Plans were originally approved back in 2015 for the construction of the centre, however were subject to a judicial review.

Expansions come on the back of increased visitor numbers to the zoo over recent years, with annual attendance figures have risen from 135,934 in 2011 to 162,116 in 2016.

Despite the plans being approved councillors raised concerns about the building during the Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) planning committee meeting last Wednesday.

Cllr Ken Stott, during the meeting, said: “My understanding is objectors have no problems with redevelopment within this area, it is just the position of it. I, personally, am not convinced this is the right area.

"What does trouble me is the effect of the massing of the dome has on the neighbouring properties. Members will recall how narrow the lane is on the old highway, so the distances from the properties to that dome is short indeed.

"What is alarming me is that when we took the opportunity to go into the two properties, and especially the second property where the visual viewpoint was exactly in the middle of the top of the dome.

"To me, I thought it had an overbearing effect on that particular property, and that is a concern I do have. That would, in my view, affect the visual amenity of that property.”