Firm swings into action on £25 million zoo scheme

A contractor has boosted its order book with a £25 million animal park deal.

Henry Brothers Construction is set to build the Global Conservation Centre at Leicestershire’s Twycross Zoo.

Officials say the two-storey development will generate 90 jobs and “make a game-changing contribution to the fight against global extinction for endangered wildlife”.

Primed to feature a 200-seat lecture theatre and a new Bornean orangutan habitat, they add the scheme will include research and teaching spaces, and bedrooms for visiting international experts and students.

Work on the project – backed by £18 million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund – is set to begin this month, with the centre earmarked to open in late 2026.

Ian Taylor, managing director of Northern Ireland-headquartered Henry Brothers Construction, which has further offices in Nottingham, Manchester and Cardross, near Dumbarton, said: “The Global Conservation Centre will have worldwide implications for wildlife, biodiversity and conservation.

“The whole team is excited to be involved in this memorable scheme.”

He added the project will be delivered alongside partners including HLM Architects, civil and structural engineer Hexa and mechanical and electrical engineer Couch, Perry, Wilkes.

Dr Rebecca Biddle, chief conservation officer at Twycross Zoo and vice-chair of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, said the development will provide “unrivalled opportunities to study, learn and develop real-world solutions for endangered wildlife”.

She added: “The unrelenting pressure we face from the dual climate and biodiversity loss crises poses a serious threat to the survival of our planet.

“Our conservation efforts need to be bigger, bolder and more united, and the Global Conservation Centre is our answer to that call.

“We are truly grateful to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, and our local MP Dr Luke Evans, for their continued backing of this project.”

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