Plans Submitted for New Puy du Fou Park in Oxfordshire
Courtesy of Puy du Fou UK
(eap) Plans for a new Puy du Fou theme park site, modeled after the French original, are progressing in the English county of Oxfordshire. After a master plan for the site near the town of Bicester had already been drawn up in 2024 and presented during public consultation rounds in 2024 and 2025, an outline planning application for the park – with an investment volume of GBP600 million – has now recently been submitted to Cherwell District Council. If approved, the new park is scheduled to open gradually from 2029 onwards – in eight phases over a period of ten years. Upon completion, the project is expected to create 2,000 direct jobs, with a further 6,000 supported through hotels, restaurants, suppliers and other local businesses. The economic contribution to the local and regional economy is estimated at around GBP500 million annually.
Courtesy of Puy du Fou UK
Olivier Strebelle, CEO of Puy du Fou, said: “We have only submitted these plans after an extensive consultation, which took over a year and included six in-person events and over 250 individual meetings, all of which have helped to shape our final proposals. We did not rush our consultation because we wanted to get our proposals right. We have wanted to come to the UK for many years. Britain has such a rich, colourful and exciting history, and the site we have chosen near Bicester is the ideal location to create a world-class destination that will bring that history to life.”
While around 550,000 guests are expected during the park’s first year of operation, long-term visitor numbers are projected to reach up to 1.43 million annually. Plans include four historical villages and 13 live shows, as well as three themed hotels allowing guests to immerse themselves in different eras of British history, and a modern conference centre.
Courtesy of Puy du Fou UK
The submitted proposals also outline extensive landscaping measures, including the creation of new ponds, lakes and gardens, more than five kilometres of new hedgerows, 16 hectares of wildflower meadows, and the planting of 20,000 new trees. ■
