The team behind Wild Rutland have hosted a consultation at Oakham's Victoria Hall this week, which welcomed hundreds of residents keen to find out more about the rural wildlife park proposal.

The event at Victoria Hall was incredibly well attended with around 300 people visiting from Oakham and surrounding villages to learn more and ask questions. 

The Burley Estate is looking to build Wild Rutland on land north of Rutland Water. Image credit: Nub News.

Wild Rutland intends that the vision should be "shaped through genuine consultation and collaboration with all relevant local authorities, residents, neighbours, businesses and environmental agencies", which is why the consultation was a key moment for the team.

They will use feedback provided by locals to help shape plans, which they intend on taking to Rutland County Council later this year.

If proposals are successful, first time in more than 1,000 years, native bears, wolves and lynx could be seen within the Rutland countryside.

The team plan on submitting their proposal by autumn 2024 and, if it is accepted, will have a detailed design in place by the winter of this year. Construction would then begin in summer 2025, with plans to open to the public in 2027.

Wild Rutland will be open by 2027 if successful at planning. Image credit: Nub News.

Wild Rutland is a new nature and wildlife park in the early stages of planning, proposed within 1,000 acres of Oakham countryside. The project would deliver a visitor attraction to encourage tourism to Rutland and offer nature and animal lovers the opportunity to enjoy everything the British countryside has to offer – from ancient woodland, indigenous species, and wild animals.

The unique site hopes to offer paying visitors the opportunity for recreation, adventure, and education, complementing what the county and neighbouring tourism destinations have to offer. Two generations of the Hanbury family are leading the project - farmers and residents of Burley in Oakham for hundreds of years.

The exciting and ambitious project has been put together by Joss and James Hanbury, family members who have farmed the land in Oakham for centuries.

Joss and James Hanbury. Image credit: Wild Rutland.

With conservation at its heart, the aim is to turn over 1,000 acres of land stretching from Burley Wood to the Oakham bypass, into Wild Rutland - a public wildlife and British nature reserve.

The plan is to open an immersive visitor attraction for nature and wildlife lovers, which complements the area and offers a place where the local community and tourists can enjoy the natural world in all its glory.

Re-introducing British species into the wild including Eurasian brown bears and lynx, both native to Britain until their extinction over a millennia ago, along with grey wolves which roamed free in the UK until the 17th century – will mean Wild Rutland is one of the only reserves in Britain where visitors can reimagine the landscape as it once was.

The company has presented plans at Victoria Hall. Image credit: Nub News.

Speaking after the consultation, Wild Rutland CEO, Hugh Vere Nicoll, said: "It was fantastic to welcome so many people to our first public exhibition at Victoria Hall. We're delighted that so many people came to talk to us. Whilst we are in the very early stages and expect our full and detailed planning application to be submitted to Rutland County Council later this year – our priority is to engage with as many local people as possible to hear their views on our plans to bring an immersive visitor attraction for nature and wildlife lovers to the area. 

"Wild Rutland will be shaped through genuine consultation and collaboration with all relevant local authorities, residents, neighbours, businesses and environmental agencies. 

"The overriding intention is to improve the natural habitat and ecology of the area, which in turn will create new opportunities for greater bird, insect and reptile diversity. Ultimately, our ambition is that Wild Rutland will facilitate education and understanding and encourage people to enjoy the natural world, whilst reflecting positively on and promoting Rutland to a wider audience." 

The whole exhibition is available online until 30 April, for anyone who missed it: Public exhibition | Wild Rutland.