We live by former Formula 1 headquarters – now it’s turning into a holiday park, it’ll revitalise our area
RESIDENTS who live next to a former Formula 1 headquarters have said that plans to turn it into a holiday park will change the area.
Developers are bidding to construct the luxury holiday park at the deserted Leafield Technical Centre in Langley, Oxfordshire.
The former headquarters of the Caterham Formula 1 racing team – which raced from 2012 to 2014 – has now been targeted by developers.
It’s meant the abandoned workshops and empty corridors have not been occupied since the Caterham team went into administration nine years ago.
New proposal plans will see 51 holiday cabins, eight barn-style cabins and two loft houses built created from an existing building on site.
And holiday accommodation developer Cabu proposes to create a new indoor swimming pool, a spa, outdoor hot tubs, a new bar and restaurants and studio space to name a few perks.
But the application has had a mixed response, drawing 19 objection comments and 11 in support.
Concerns from locals include increased traffic due to the lack of public transport serving the site and the need for an improved access from nearby roads.
One neighbour said: “If this were a greenfield site, no one would believe that a sustainable development of it was possible, given its lack of sustainable connectivity.
“There is no reason to believe the development would be sustainable just because it is on a brownfield site.”
However, a planning statement on behalf of the applicant’s agent Clerkenwell Estates (Cotswolds) Ltd says the holiday park will be “highly attractive” and could generate millions in revenue.
They added it would “result in a significant betterment compared to the existing industrial built form associated with the site’s former use.”.
It says the development it will create 116 local jobs once it is operational in addition to construction jobs and at least 159 further jobs indirectly.
“It will generate at least £2million for the local economy directly through visitor, staff and resident expenditure,” the statement added.
Should the development be given the go-ahead by councillors the developer said it expects site preparation works to start in September 2023.
Construction will take place over approximately 24 months and the park will become operational from September 2025.
The site was originally built as a radio transmission station.
But it was redeveloped in the late 1980s and then used by British Telecom as a residential training centre for 15 years.
From 1993 the renamed Leafield Technical Centre was expanded into an iconic specialist motorsport facility.
Before that the site also provided the base for the also defunct Arrow and Super Aguri Formula 1 teams.
It comes as another set of residents are furious at plans to build 100 new homes on their doorstep, saying: “It will be just horrible.”
Fed-up locals fear they will be bombarded with deafening noise, and insisted they cannot take anymore people.
Meanwhile, Wales could become home to a £250m holiday resort featuring forest lodges, zip wires, and canyoning experiences.
Work is underway to build a lavish holiday park in the Afan Valley in Wales.