Listen Live

Plans for 'Bear Town' in Cullompton

Artist impression of the Bear Trail new children’s indoor play area and a cafe (Image from the planning application)

It would be alongside the existing Bear Trail

Since opening in 2016, the Bear Trail has become a successful business and an award winning tourist attraction.

But now they have submitted plans to Mid Devon District Council to build on the success by introducing an indoor element to the site.

This will take the form of a children’s ‘Role Play Street’, to be known as ‘Bear Town’, and will enable the attraction to have more of an all-weather and out of season appeal and to create more jobs, a design and access statement with the application states.

The statement adds: “The Bear Trail has established itself as a popular tourism attraction in the region and adding this new indoor element will only serve to increase its appeal. The branding and marketing of The Bear Trail locates it very much in the heart of Devon.

“As well as Bear Town for children’s indoor play, a cafe seating area is proposed. This will allow parents to overlook both Bear Town and The Bear Trail outside. The Bear Trail hosts birthday parties and two new party rooms are included within the proposals as well as a corporate function space.

“The layout of the new building has been carefully designed so that visitors arriving at the attraction will know where to go. Additionally, once inside the new building, visitors will be directed to either the external Bear Trail or the internal Bear Town.

“The new building will help to provide better security for visitors by controlling incoming and outgoing people. This will also assist the business in overcoming the problem of certain visitors gaining access to the facilities without paying for entry.”

Other benefits of the scheme, the application states, are that investing in this tourist attraction will bring more wealth to the area and over time this helps to make the area more sustainable and a more desirable place to live and work in the long term.

The statement adds that The Bear Trail’s whole ethos is exactly about promoting physical activity, health and wellbeing, and the new proposal continues to promote this through active learning through play.

It continues: “The Bear Trail is all about the natural environment and getting people, children and adults alike, outdoors and connected to the natural world.”

A letter from the owner of the building has also been submitted alongside the application, saying that the messages they have received from families have made them so proud.

It continues: “The next step is to provide an indoor family venue which encourages imagination and education through play. We are proposing to create the South West’s first role play street. This is a fantastic new venture which has a full mini street allowing children to imagine whatever takes their fancy.

“If they want to have a princess dress on the theatre stage and then wear that costume in the modern fire station, who are we to stop them?

“There is a huge movement in early years learning that play is not just a past time in between ‘real’ lessons. Play is essential in the development of children and should not be underestimated.

“The Trail and Role Play aims to work with the University of Exeter to provide a research space, free of charge, so we can help parents fight the growing trend of child obesity and inactive children. We have seen the research that has been conducted and it only shows that this is no longer a small issue, but one which may be detrimental to future generations.

“All in all, the new development will not impact the local area in a negative way, but boost facilities, pride and create another reason for visitors to enjoy and stay in Mid Devon. We will allow families to engage with each other in all weathers and teach children that imagination has no bounds. It is a sustainable and growing business which will continue to provide more jobs in the local area.”

An agricultural style barn, approximately 20 metres wide by 30 metres long, is proposed to be built, that would house the children’s play area.

The existing site car park is set to be increased from 90 to 130 spaces as well, as part of the plans.

Mid Devon District Council planners will determine the fate of the application at a later date.

 

More from Local News

Listen Live
On Air Now Radio Exe - Non Stop Playing Killing Me Softly Fugees