I plan to re-open abandoned UK theme park & turn our town back into a ‘booming' tourist destination

The Sun

18-05-2025

AN ambitious resident has set out to re-open an abandoned UK theme park.
The anonymous local plans to revive Oakwood theme park in west Wales.
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Earlier this year, the park has announced its closure after 40 years as it had suffered financial losses.
Despite the parent company Aspro Parks investing over £25million to rescue the site from shutting down since 2008, the number of visitors continued to decline.
The statement read: "It is with much sadness that we have to announce the immediate closure of Oakwood Theme Park and confirm the park will not open for the 2025 season.
"Following a strategic review of the business, Aspro Parks, owner and operator of Oakwood Theme Park have reached this difficult decision due to the challenges presented by the current business environment.
"All possible avenues have been explored to avoid the closure, and we fully recognise the impact of the closure on the local community and the loss that will be felt as a result."
But the local community isn't giving up on the theme park yet.
One Welsh resident has set himself a challenging goal of bringing Oakwood back to life and created an organisation called Richens Leisure Projects (RLP) for the cause.
They told Wales Online: "I grew up in west Wales. I remember every queue, every hill climb, every first drop.
"Oakwood wasn't just a theme park — it was a rite of passage for kids in this country. You didn't just go there. You remembered it."
The new initiative hopes to boost employment with an estimate of more than 100 seasonal job opportunities in the Pembrokeshire area, where the park has lost some of its well-known rides.
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RLP said it has developed a phased capital reinvestment strategy to "re-establish Oakwood as a national leisure destination".
They continued: "This isn't about nostalgia — it's about rebuilding pride. It's about giving today's kids the same memories we had, only with something stronger behind it: community ownership and a long-term plan.
"If the park's future is undecided, we'd welcome the chance to speak to the owners. We're not here to pressure — we're here to restore what still means something."
The local effort to restore the park to its former glory has been met with enthusiasm as the project has found financial backers.
According to RLP, they have prepared a planned, actionable strategy supported by sound numbers and real modelling.
The proposal is still open after being presented to the existing owners.
The Sun has also reached out to Aspro Parks for a comment.
Inspired by the legend of King Arthur, the now decaying, desolate theme park opened in Chorley, Lancs, in 1983, closing its doors in 2012.
The rotting site could now be replaced with a 350-home village under new proposals.
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