Plans for a major new theme park near Bicester have been revealed in a scoping request to Cherwell District Council.
French history-based theme park operator Puy du Fou, which started in Les Epesses in the Pays de la Loire region in 1977, has submitted the request ahead of a forthcoming outline planning application to develop 153 hectares of farmland off Bainton Road, north of the village of Bucknell and approximately 3.5km north of Bicester.
The Les Epesses site is now attracting more than two million visitors a year and Puy du Fou opened a second park in Spain in 2021.
The Puy du Fou scoping request for Bicester states: “The proposed development comprises tourism development which will include theatres, live shows, back of house facilities, restaurants, hotels, conference facilities, parking, landscaping and access.”
It goes on: “The applicant has created a unique artistic model in the entertainment industry. Puy du Fou is an international immersive cultural and historical destination first created in Western France in 1977.
“Puy du Fou France is one of the most popular tourist attractions in France. After success with Puy du Fou in France, a second park was opened in 2021 near Toledo in Spain – Puy du Fou España.
“Puy du Fou is seeking to develop a number of sites across the world and the UK is one of the key destinations as a result of Britain’s extensive and interesting history on which the shows will be based.”
The team on the project includes Savills on planning, Puy du Fou’s own architectural team and Tate & Co on masterplanning and urban design, Aecom on engineering services, Steer on transport, Environmental Dimension Partnership on ecology, biodiversity and heritage, Puy du Fou’s landscaping team and Radcliffes Environmental on landscape and visual impact and Akt II on engineering.
The Bicester park will be the second major theme park planned for land around the Oxfordshire town. Great Wolf Resorts is on site at Chesterton to develop a water-based family park there.
Image: Google.
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