A new £600million history-themed attraction set to open in Oxfordshire could be a notable ‘strategic opportunity’ for the surrounding area, it has been revealed.
Dominic Hare, the CEO of Blenheim Palace, said the proposals for a new site from Puy du Fou will have a positive impact on the region.
Puy du Fou, a French company known for its popular park in the Loire region, submitted plans for a UK version last year.
The new park, set to be located near Bicester in Oxfordshire, will boast immersive, history-themed attractions, allowing visitors to step back in time to witness gladiator tournaments and Viking invasions.
The company submitted an outline planning application to Cherwell District Council on 1 September, with hopes to open the UK location in stages starting from 2029.
Puy du Fou’s proposal near Bicester, near Oxfordshire, will be open from April to October each year and will include four period villages and 13 live shows.
There will be three onsite hotels, each themed to different periods of British history.
There will also be a state-of-the-art conference centre which will be open on demand all year round.
The company submitted an outline planning application to Cherwell District Council last year
The UK attraction will be inspired by the Puy du Fou amusement park in France
Now, in a letter to Cherwell District Council, Dominic Hare said the ‘arrival of another world-class, award-winning visitor attraction’ in the local area would provide a ‘significant strategic opportunity’.
The BBC reported that he wrote: ‘The economic contribution of a tourism asset of this calibre would be substantial and lasting.’
Dominic added: ‘The scale, complexity and originality of their productions, combined with the care they invest in their visitor experience and their constructive relationships with surrounding communities, left a strong impression.’
The company has shown consideration for the surrounding area, hoping to build the park a distance away from nearby homes.
According to the site’s proposal, the shows will also be oriented to direct potential noise away from our neighbours.
It adds: ‘Considerable bunding, some up to 7m tall, will be landscaped around the park and around each individual show, with trees planted on top to help screen views, light and noise.’
The park also aims to protect the landscape, including three ancient woodlands which will be entirely preserved and protected.
The website adds: ‘To enhance the environment, around 20,000 new trees will also be planted, as well as over 5km of new hedgerows and 40 acres of biodiverse, species-rich wildflower meadows.
To blend in with the surrounding landscape, the UK park will feature 40 acres of wildflower meadows, lakes and more than 20,000 planted trees
‘New ponds and wetland habitats will be created. Bird and bat boxes will be used to enhance nesting and roosting opportunities, along with log piles to create habitats for amphibians and invertebrates.’
According to application documents, the proposed park will include outdoor and indoor theatres, restaurants, hotels, conference facilities, offices, warehousing and storage, security control centre, medical centre, animal facilities (including stables, aviary, animal sheds), laundry facility and workshops, and supporting infrastructure.
Puy du Fou is a multi-award-winning theme park in in Les Epesses, in the Pays de la Loire region of western France.
Since opening in 1977, Puy du Fou has grown to become one of France’s most beloved attractions.
The UK version of the park will be modelled on its French counterpart.
However, the plans for the new park have come under fire.
The prospect of the £600 million theme park sparked a bitter local war last year, with many villagers up in arms about the project.
‘I’m against it purely on the logistics,’ said Sarah Evans-Roberts, 64, Cherwell District Council’s revenues and recovery officer.
‘This road here will just become a further rat-run for staff going up there, and this road is ridiculous as it is.
‘I think Bicester needs more attractions, so I’m not against the fact that we’re getting an attraction, but I think there’s plenty of brownfield sites that would be more suitable.
‘There’s plenty of space at ex-RAF sites up at Heyford Park. And it’s not a case that I’m a Nimby either. It’s just purely that the roundabout and the B4100 just will never cope.
‘The proposed 2.5 million visitors a year, it’s going to be ridiculous – and they’re selling it on the basis that they believe people will be coming here on public transport.
‘They won’t be, because there isn’t any. The same customers that go to Bicester Village will not be the same sort of customers that want to come here.’
Other disgruntled locals have voiced their concerns, with one concluding: ‘It’s going to be a nightmare in this village. I can’t see this lane being very quiet when it’s open.’
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