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More on KentOnline
Permission is being sough to create unique accommodation offering 180 degree views over the Kent countryside.
Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve - one of the county's biggest tourist attractions - has applied for planning permission to build The Bubble #2.
It will match an existing 'Bubble' at the Hythe animal park, which is currently rented out from £549 a night.
Made from PVC, the Bubble is 50% transparent and includes a luxury bedroom, equipped with a king size bed, a living room and bathroom with a free standing tub.
It is described as being the perfect accommodation for 'star gazing'.
The new Bubble is planned for an area of the park which formerly housed a meerkat enclosure.
This is to be torn down, and replaced by the new inflatable pod with a decking area also to be installed.
Already surrounded by dense and established vegetation, this will allow for privacy for those staying overnight.
The planning application reads: "Part of the reserve’s success lies in the type of visitor accommodation on offer with a wide range of bespoke and innovative forms of accommodation in which to strengthen the visitor experience.
"This latest development expands upon the success of the first Bubble as a unique unit of accommodation.
"Bubble #2, apart from the bathroom, provides 180 degree ‘transparent accommodation’ and clear uninterrupted views skyward.
"There are no curtains/blinds and so the application site will afford a significant degree of privacy, bearing in mind the need to balance this with landscape impacts.
"Much like previous visitor accommodation applications, Bubble #2 is nestled in amongst natural vegetation and, in this instance, will not be visible from the wider area."
The document adds that the proposed development, if approved, will lead to the creating of jobs, increase expenditure in the district and support the Aspinall Foundation's 'continued protection and conservation of endangered species' through future income.
Other types of accommodation at the reserve currently comprises of Bubble #1, Hog Deer Creek's Shepherd’s huts, The Tiger Lodges, Treehouse Hotel, Port Lympne Hotel and many more.
The animal park is also seeking permission from Folkestone and Hythe District Council to turn run-down mansion, French House, into Giraffe Hall, which will see guests observe a herd of giraffes while they relax and dine.
The application for Bubble #2 is currently 'under consultation' by FHDC and a decision is expected by June.
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