Farmer who sold land for UK Puy du Fou SHUNNED by locals

Puy du Fou, a historical theme park with no rides, is proposing to build a huge site near to junction 10 of the M40 on land north of Bucknell, near Bicester.

But locals have slammed the plans as a potential 'nightmare' and directed their anger at an elderly couple who are selling the land to accommodate it.

Plans are expected to be formally submitted in the summer but Puy du Fou have now launched a consultation.

Derek Hedges, 80, said he got the 'cold shoulder' after the announcement. He added: “Some people will look the other way. 
 
“They don't understand the pressures of pig farming. I mean, in 2022 the independent British pig industry went through hell. 
 
“We were losing £10,000 a week for a whole year; nobody in the village came to me and said: ‘You all right, Derek, how are you coping with this?’ 
 
“It was worse than foot-and-mouth.

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“I think people don't understand that they have the opportunity to deal with a group of people that want this project to go forward, that are going to run it. 
 
“They're not coming to build it and then going away. They're not building warehouses, and then they're gone.”

Mr Hedges said he was upset at the reaction as he had been at the centre of village life for decades.

Bucknell (Image: Joseph Walshe / SWNS) He added: "I have done a lot in the village in my time. 
 
“I've chaired every committee in the village, I've been involved with nearly every event that's ever happened in the village. 
 
“I would take it somewhat slightly personally that people thought it was horrible.
 
“Some of the initial reactions were like it was a roller coaster ride-type fairground that was going to be put in and it's not. 

Farmland in Bucknell (Image: Joseph Walshe / SWNS)
 “I call it ‘Theatre in the forest’ because what I've seen in France, that's what it's like.”
 
Mr Hedges, of Bainton Lane, said his age and tiredness have been the major reasons for selling off the land, which was used for pig-farming. 
 
But the main reason was the growth of nearby Bicester and the drive in house-building. 
 
He said: “Because of the growth of Bicester coming towards us - and a lot of villagers didn't really connect to this - it was putting pressure on our business. 

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 “There's no way we could have an intensive pig business adjacent to a part of the town. It wouldn't work. 
 
“I don't have a member of my family that really wants to continue pig farming. The pigs have been here a long time. We have fed lots of mouths over the years but we won’t be in pigs anymore. 
 
“This village has been very close to my heart for a long time. The playing field is because of me. I've chaired the village hall for nearly 40 years. I've just retired, I've done lots of things. I've been a parish councillor for 30 years."
 
His wife, Kate, added: “They're blaming us for everything, and they get some funny ideas. 
 
“We were just looking for a way out of a complicated family business and we thought it would be nice. I knew they would complain about the traffic but I didn’t expect this much backlash. 
 
“Somebody knocked on the door and said: ‘They’re going to be playing Spice Girls into the night. The noise will be terrific.’”

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Nick Jones in Bucknell (Image: Joseph Walshe / SWNS)

Nick Jones, a technical director, who has lived nearby for 29 years, has concerns about the infrastructure 'not being ready for it'.

The 66-year-old said: "Talking to the people we know in the village, most people are against it. 
 
“In the last two weeks, four houses have gone up for sale in the village.” He added that it had made him consider selling and moving. 
 
“I moved here for a quiet village life.” 

Colin Hornby, 45, a local service manager, said: “I am agnostic about it.
 
“Ultimately the land that the Puy du Fou site is potentially going to go on to will be sold for something.
 
“I know the farmer down there, and I don't think he's able to continue farming and still make a profit - farming is so difficult nowadays.

“Ultimately, he will sell the land. And the question then is what goes there?
 
“Either a massive housing development, like is happening all around Bucknell at the moment, or warehousing, because they seem to like to build these massive warehouses all around the place.
 
“Pick your poison, really... I see it potentially as the lesser of two evils. I would prefer that to be built, rather than another huge housing estate with 5,000 houses. 

Puy du Fou in France (Image: Ben Farrington / SWNS)
“People are definitely strongly against it, especially the people who live closer - their peace and quiet is but potentially going to be impacted by having noisy events happening there. 
 
“Puy du Fou have done a very good marketing job trying to explain how they're going to shield from noise. 

"They're saying all the right things, but you can never really tell what it's going to be like until it's actually there.”

READ MORE: Puy du Fou: Locals fight against £600m theme park plans

Colin Hornby (Image: Joseph Walshe / SWNS) The park, which was founded by Philippe de Villiers in the 1970s, has caused controversy over his far-right political links and associations with Russia.

Concerns over links to Russia were also heightened when it was revealed it planned to open a site in Moscow - but the company has now said it abandoned the idea due to the Geopolitical climate after the war in Ukraine.

Under the proposals, the new Oxfordshire-based park would open between April and October each year.

Natural features such as ponds, lakes, and gardens, and more than 40 acres of wildflower meadows and 20,000 new trees, are also included in the plans.