Pig farmer selling land for theme park claims he's been shunned by locals

Telegraph

28-03-2025

A pig farmer who is selling his land to the potential developers of a £600 million theme park has claimed he is being shunned by his neighbours.
Derek Hall says he was given the 'cold shoulder' over his decision to hand over land to the creators of Puy du Fou, a history-themed park in the Loire region of western France.
The firm, which also has a Spanish-themed park in Toledo, now wants to create a British version on a site in Oxfordshire.
Villagers in Bucknell say the development, near junction 10 of the M40 near Bicester, is a potential 'nightmare' and would result in traffic chaos if it received the projected 2.5 million visitors a year.
Mr Hall blamed the ' pressures of pig farming ' for his decision to sell. The 80-year-old said: 'The pig industry went through hell. We were losing £10,000 a week for a whole year [in 2022]; nobody in the village came to me and said: 'You all right, Derek, how are you coping with this?''
He said residents would have the 'opportunity to deal with the group of people that want this project to go ahead' and that its owners will be available to deal with any issues.
'They're not coming to build it and then going away. They're not building warehouses, and then they're gone,' he added.
Mr Hall also said he was upset by the reaction of his neighbours as he had been at the centre of village life for decades.
'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.
'I call it 'theatre in the forest' because what I've seen in France, that's what it's like,' he added.
His wife, Kate, said locals were 'blaming us for everything' and 'had 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,' she said.
Puy du Fou, described as 'a place where history and nature go hand in hand' has had a presence in Les Epesses in France since 1978 and in Spain, since 2021.
The Oxfordshire park would open between April and October with four period villages and 13 live shows.
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.
The proposals are expected to be formally submitted to planners in the summer but Puy du Fou has now launched a consultation.
Sarah Evans-Roberts, 64, Cherwell district council's revenues and recovery officer, said the B4100 which passes the proposed development north of Bucknell 'isn't fit for purpose as it is'.
She added: 'This road here will just become a further rat-run, for staff going up there, and this road is ridiculous as it is.
'I think Bicester needs more attractions, so I'm not against the fact that we're getting an attraction but I think there's plenty of brownfield sites that would be more suitable.'
She suggested the former RAF sites at Hayford Park i nstead, adding 'the roundabout and the B4100 just will never cope'.
'When that's there and there are the proposed 2.5 million visitors a year, it's going to be ridiculous.'
Nick Jones, 66, a technical director living nearby, said the village is being 'overwhelmed'.
He added: 'They're going to take more than 500 acres of prime farmland. They say: 'It's not a theme park' – it's got a theme. It hasn't got any rides but it's still a theme park. They're just trying to placate us.
'I moved here for a quiet village life.'
Steve Alderton, 67, a retired motor trade worker, said 'it's going to be a nightmare'.
Philippe de Villiers, the French theme park's founder, has previously caused controversy over his far-Right political links and associations with Russia.
He set up the political party Mouvement pour la France in 1994 with a manifesto that included a ban on building new mosques and outlawing gay marriage.
There were also concerns over the park's links to Russia when it was revealed it planned to open a site in Moscow – but the company has now said it abandoned the idea because of the war in Ukraine.
On the continent, it has showcased historical events such as the Roman Empire and featured figures like Joan of Arc.
A Puy du Fou spokesman said: ' Puy du Fou explored opening a park in Russia and were caught off guard by the rapid deterioration of the geopolitical situation in Russia and Crimea.
'Quite properly we cancelled this initiative once the international sanctions regime was established. The Russia project never went beyond an outline concept.
'Every day we are open, tens of thousands of visitors in two countries witness the quality and popularity of Puy du Fou's work, as evidenced by the thousands of glowing reviews on social media.
'Our visitors provide the best response to these negative and unfounded criticisms.'