Plans for £300m theme park to be built in Britain

Plans for a sprawling £300 million history-themed amusement park near Oxford have been unveiled.

The attraction will spread over 400 acres and be situated in in Cherwell, north of Bicester, by the M40, but official plans are yet to be submitted to the local council.

Puy du Fou - a famous theme park in France - declared its interest in building a UK version of the resort last year.    

Built in 1989, the award-winning French amusement prides itself on its 'multitude of spectacular shows' including falconry, sword fights and lance shows and similar displays are expected to take place at its Oxfordshire counterpart.

Cherwell District Council has now issued a new statement regarding the progress of the theme park and have stressed the plans have not been officially submitted yet.

A spokesperson for the council said: 'On Puy Du Fou from our side, we've not received an application from them.'    

Public consultations were held throughout July with residents voicing their opinions on the possibility of a theme park near Bicester.

 At the time of these discussions, a spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: 'We are aware that Puy du Fou is consulting with local communities as they prepare their plans.

'We wait with interest to see what proposals emerge. They will of course need to be submitted to us for consideration through the planning process.

'We encourage residents to take the opportunity to engage with the promoters to hear more and provide their input.'

It is said the attraction could employ 700 people and create 2,000 new jobs at hotels, suppliers and other local businesses from its first year of opening.

Puy du Fou has previously stated it intends to open two new destinations in the world before 2030, with the UK being a top contender. 

It comes as entertainment industry giant, Universal Studios, wrote to locals in Bedford after also revealing hopes to open its first UK location.

The new destination will be part of a five-strong fleet of Universal Studios locations in Hollywood, Orlando, Japan, Singapore and Beijing - with another new site in Texas already in the works. 

Bosses from the entertainment colossus say they have a 'strong track record' of 'working together' with local communities when considering any 'new project'. 

They hope the new site will generate '£50bn of economic benefits for UK' and will open 365 days a year. It is also planned to contain 500 hotel rooms and a dining area open to non-ticket holders. 

The UK's first theme park - Blackgang Chine, on the Isle of Wight - was built 180 years ago in 1843 and a string of adrenaline-generating attractions followed in quick succession.

If Puy du Fou and Universal studio's plans come to fruition they will have to compete with the UK's impressive array amusement parks already in full-swing, including Alton towers, in Stoke-on-Trent, Thorpe Park Resort near Surrey and Paultons park in Hampshire.