THE construction of a multi-million-pound water park resort in Oxfordshire will start next year.

American company Great Wolf Resorts (GWR) is to shortly begin the search for a construction contractor to undertake the development of Great Wolf Lodge in Chesterton, near Bicester.

Builders will prioritise support for and from local suppliers wherever possible, as well as focus on apprenticeships and developing skills in the local community.

The development will bring a £200 million investment into the local area – creating 1,000 jobs during construction and around 600 jobs to operate the resort.

Swindon Advertiser:

Local training groups have welcomed the news of GWR's first UK site and say it will provide new jobs and a great oportunity to train new construction apprentices. 

A spokesman for ACE Training, an Oxfordshire-based company specialising in training and apprenticeships, said: “Great Wolf Resorts’ proposals will provide not only a vital £200m investment in the local economy, but also an opportunity to invest in the next generation of construction professionals right here in Oxfordshire.

"Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the local economy and we welcome the news that a successful company like Great Wolf wishes to invest in our community.”

A spokesman for the Oxfordshire Construction Training Group, a specialist organisation with 40 member companies, said: “We welcome the significant level of inward investment that Great Wolf Resorts’ proposals will bring to the area. Construction is a major part of the local economy providing skilled employment for many Oxfordshire residents.

Swindon Advertiser:

"We believe that the entire community will gain enormously from the presence of this new facility, with the real potential of an array of permanent job opportunities, including apprenticeships.”

Great Wolf Lodge faced huge opposition from locals in Chesterton and surrounding parish councils who believed it would damage the environment and cause traffic problems.