Puy du Fou: 25/02232/OUT
Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum wishes to OBJECT to this application. The objection is made on behalf of the 11 parish councils within the designated MCNP area, parts of which are directly impacted by the application. The objection is made for the following reasons:
Traffic: This development will exacerbate an already serious traffic problem in the locality. The M40 Junction 10 / A43 / Baynards Green junctions is known as a ‘failed junction’, already unable to cope with the volume of traffic. Congestion is common in the area, increasing travel times and pollution. The massive increase of new housing in and around Bicester and the potential development of warehouses at J10 and nearby, will make traffic conditions still worse. If this entertainment complex is permitted in a rural area with its road network completely unsuitable for the volumes and types of traffic (eg coaches) that will be generated by Puy du Fou, conditions will become impossible.
Cumulative Impact: The cumulative traffic impact on the surrounding communities of Puy du Fou, Heyford Park, Baynards Green warehousing, and the Ardley SRFI, as well as other major schemes, is of great concern. Proposals for public transport to alleviate much of the traffic generated are simply not credible. The re-opening of Ardley Station is a long way off, and will anyway have a minimal effect on road traffic. With so many large-scale proposals impacting on a single rural location, an exceptional approach to assessing that impact is required. We ask that Cherwell DC requests the Highway Authority to provide an overview on the cumulative traffic implications of the above-mentioned proposals.
Failure of mitigation: The development risks turning surrounding villages into rat-runs as motorists seek to avoid congestion on the main routes. Residents of local settlements would experience increased traffic, noise, air pollution and road safety risks, reducing the quality of life of a large proportion of the local community. Mitigation proposed by the applicants fails to address this major concern.
Local Plan: Cherwell’s current Local Plan 2042, currently at examination stage, contains no policy that would support a development such as Puy du Fou within the District. We therefore request Cherwell District Council to refuse permission for this application.
Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum
15.6.26