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Oakwood Discussion

Quantum said:
How do you scale down when most of the rides have either been removed or beyond repair?
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To my knowledge, only 2 rides have been removed (Drenched and Bounce), and I would doubt that any of the others are “beyond repair” given the park was operating less than a year ago.

There are still plenty of usable foundations left at Oakwood, for my money. I’m not saying that that means it will definitely reopen, but if the right person came with the right business plan (could be RLP, could be someone else), it’s definitely still salvageable at present, in my view.
 
Matt N said:
To my knowledge, only 2 rides have been removed (Drenched and Bounce), and I would doubt that any of the others are “beyond repair” given the park was operating less than a year ago.

There are still plenty of usable foundations left at Oakwood, for my money. I’m not saying that that means it will definitely reopen, but if the right person came with the right business plan (could be RLP, could be someone else), it’s definitely still salvageable at present, in my view.
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From drone and ‘urbex’ videos on YouTube, the latest of which was posted about a week ago, you are right. Some rides have been dismantled but they are all sitting in the old coach park. The only one I couldn’t immediately spot was the track of the crocodile coaster (which has been removed) but the trains are definitely there. Even bounce and hydro are sitting there still.

Even if the RLP thing is all nonsense, Aspro seems to be treating the park like they are keen to find a buyer - rides stored in the coach park but having not left site, lawns being mown throughout the park and apparently Megafobia occasionally cycling (though that I’ve only read about and not seen evidence of). Those are not things you’d bother with as an owner if you’d already decided to just gut the place and sell the land. I think for the love of the park I have, need to keep my hopes up!

One last thought I had about the RLP thing is that, even if it’s people messing about or not a serious bid - it is keeping Oakwood talked about. I check regularly for any sign of news to do with the park and from about a week after the announcement till the RLP news articles it just never got mentioned at all. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to keep it in people’s conscious, particularly local politicians that will quickly move on to the next thing.
 
Whether RLP’s ideas materialise or not, they do appear to have a plan with budgets given, for what it’s worth: https://revive.wales/#

I’ll admit I think it sounds pretty ambitious, with the plan totalling £250m. I have my personal scepticism about whether a £250m investment into Oakwood, or investment on anything like that scale, would provide an adequate financial return or be feasible… I would have thought that any feasible investment into reopening would be far smaller. With that said, they have supposedly submitted their plans to the Welsh Government, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see if anything materialises from it.

I admit that some aspects of RLP’s public persona do not inspire a huge amount of confidence (I find their sheer level of transparency a tad odd, for example), but I’d be willing to attribute that to potential inexperience to some extent rather than automatically assuming that they’re an illegitimate actor. I admit that I don’t know if RLP are legitimate, but at the same time, I have no proof that they’re not legitimate either, so I think they should still be treated as a potential option given the recency of their proposal and how we’ve only really known about them for around a month. They might be fakers, or they might yet pull something out of the bag. We don’t yet know.
 
RLPs plans are clearly a complete fabrication. To get a reasonable ROI on £250m, you'd probably need to make at least £20m profit a year. Even £20m revenue would be 500,000 guests a year with an average spend of £40, you'd need 2m plus guests to be anywhere near turning £20m profit which Oakwood has absolutely no chance of achieving.

Oakwood can turn a profit of a couple of million a year and has done quite recently even under Aspro. An investment of c.£30m on those figures might be reasonable and could probably get you 3-4 decent rides plus upping the standard of what's already there.
 
dantheman38 said:
RLPs plans are clearly a complete fabrication. To get a reasonable ROI on £250m, you'd probably need to make at least £20m profit a year. Even £20m revenue would be 500,000 guests a year with an average spend of £40, you'd need 2m plus guests to be anywhere near turning £20m profit which Oakwood has absolutely no chance of achieving.

Oakwood can turn a profit of a couple of million a year and has done quite recently even under Aspro. An investment of c.£30m on those figures might be reasonable and could probably get you 3-4 decent rides plus upping the standard of what's already there.
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I agree with what you say, and I definitely have my doubts around the feasibility of the mooted £250m, and RLP’s outlined plan overall. If you’d asked me previously how much a plan to reopen Oakwood would cost, I’d have shaved the 0 off the end of that number to get to a reinvestment level I’d have called feasible for a first phase of reopening. Perhaps £50m at a push, but £250m does seem too expensive to be particularly feasible for a park of Oakwood’s calibre.

But even if their plan seems ambitious, that’s not to say that I think they wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything. There is quite a chasm between nothing and £250m, so if RLP are legitimate, I don’t see why they couldn’t reopen and invest into the park in some capacity, even if not in the elaborate capacity they currently outline.

Do I think it’s likely that RLP’s current plan, as outlined on the website, will come to fruition in its entirety? Not particularly. But do I think that RLP (or another investor, if RLP prove to be fakers) could reopen the park and make it work? I think it’s very possible. With the right people and the right plan, I think there’s still a viable park in Oakwood yet!
 
RLP are not a legal entity are they?

This would surely be the very first stop... even Mellors set up a ltd company to represent their bid for DLP. It was wound up when the bid failed. These things are pretty straightforward and inexpensive to achieve.

I don't see how meaningful negotiations would take place without registration.
 
The £250m is clearly way over the top, but actually delving into the figures on the website, much of it is for future or potential, so the actual sum for initial park is probably more viable:

“Where Does the £250M Go?

• £76M core construction (rides, hotel, STEM, HQ, infrastructure)

• £74M contingency fund held by government to manage risk and build resilience

• £20M for sustainability: solar, water systems, composting, EV transport, zero waste

• £5M digital ticketing, guest apps, POS, security, and operational software

• £25M reserved for future expansion: hotel wing, indoor zones, new IP lands”

For a start, I make that £200m. £74m is contingency, £25m for ‘future’ and £20m for sustainability (which you are unlikely to be committed too, and plans are already in place to build large wind turbines nearby). So that leaves £81m, but that includes a hotel, something I don’t think would be viable anyway, but would certainly make up a big chunk of that figure. The latest accounts for Oakwood on Companies house stated that the assets (land, rides etc) equated to £26m - so that’s about the figure to keep in mind, plus the millions to bring it up to scratch. It reads more like inflated figures for good local press about the ‘opportunity’.

Regarding RLP I am self aware enough to know I am giving the benefit of doubt because I want it to be true. However, I have no more evidence of it being a random on the internet than I do them being genuine for now. I know there are quite a few question marks. However I run an architectural practice specialising in conservation and charity projects, and more often than not they are led by enthusiastic locals with no experience in building. Similarly, I still think it’s possible this can be well meaning enthusiastic local investors without the skills of website design and presentation (lots of criticism of AI use - doesn’t seem to stop our biggest UK park operator). For now, till proved otherwise I hope it is possible. Of all the parks where that approach can be shown to work, it’s Oakwood set up by farmers with no leisure experience at all.
 
The reopening proposal is over - Aspro are not selling LINK

Final Update: Oakwood Theme Park Acquisition​

This morning, after six weeks of unanswered emails, being passed around departments, and finally escalating to ASPRO’s senior leadership team, we received a short, dismissive verbal confirmation: Oakwood Theme Park is not for sale.

No explanation. No reasoning. No acknowledgement of the work that had gone in. Just a closed door with no warning and no courtesy.

Let’s be honest. We expected better. Not just because our proposal was watertight, but because Oakwood deserves better and so does Wales.

ASPRO’s handling of this process has been nothing short of disappointing. We approached them with professionalism, a detailed vision rooted in policy, community, culture, and sustainability. We gave them a fully scoped multi-phase redevelopment strategy designed to turn Oakwood from a declining park into a true national asset. It was built with care, backed by experts, and shaped by voices across the region.

In return, ASPRO gave us silence, delays, and a final brush-off that speaks volumes about how they value dialogue, investment, or the future of Oakwood. They’ve chosen to keep the park as-is. A tired, fading shell of what it once was with no known plans for restoration, no local engagement, and clearly no appetite to let go.

We want it stated clearly: this decision is not a reflection of the strength of our offer. It is a reflection of a corporate entity clinging to ownership, not opportunity. They had every chance to bring Oakwood into a new era. Instead, they’ve chosen to let it drift.

We move forward. We move freely. And Oakwood, the one that could have been, will stand as a missed opportunity. One we won’t waste again elsewhere.

What We Proposed​

This was never about nostalgia. It was never about patching up a park that had fallen into disrepair. From day one, we set out to build a future-facing, accessible, culturally grounded leisure destination that could stand proudly on the national stage. Our proposal included:

  • A full redevelopment of the park, combining 30+ new and revitalised attractions, themed lands, and immersive storytelling experiences
  • A 150-room hotel themed around Welsh mythology and local landscape
  • A STEM education centre offering school-linked programming and seasonal outreach
  • Step-free access, bilingual experiences, and sensory-friendly design park-wide
  • An employment strategy to create over 800 jobs, the majority sourced locally
  • A £250M capital investment roadmap backed by structured public-private funding models
  • Policy alignment with Net Zero Wales, Cymraeg 2050, and Future Generations Act principles
This wasn’t ambition for ambition’s sake. It was a blueprint for sustainable tourism, regional regeneration, and cultural preservation. It was built in consultation with former Oakwood staff, industry experts, local businesses, and government advisors.

We didn’t just dream. We did the work.

What We Faced​

In return, we were met with:

  • Weeks of silence from ASPRO following initial receipt of the proposal
  • Delays in internal review, despite confirmation it had reached UK director level
  • No formal feedback, questions, or engagement
  • No request for revisions, clarifications, or alternatives
  • And finally, today, a short message: they are not selling.
This outcome is not about our plan. It is about ASPRO’s position. They have decided to retain Oakwood, in its current state, under their current operational model.

We accept their decision. But we do not agree with it.

Our Thanks​

To every single person who believed in this project, stood by us, encouraged us, and lent us your time, insight, or support, we owe you our deepest thanks.

This was never a one-person effort. It was never just a business proposal. It became a shared vision that reached into communities, households, inboxes, and memories. What we were trying to create wasn’t just a park. It was a national space for stories, pride, fun, and belonging. And so many of you helped shape that.

  • To the former Oakwood staff who shared stories that weren’t in any financial model or planning document. The emotional value, the human energy, the belief that Oakwood could rise again, your input helped us understand what truly made the place matter. Many of you offered to return, not for a paycheck, but to rebuild a legacy. That mattered more than you know.
  • To the creatives, designers, choreographers, writers, and musicians who pitched in ideas for themed lands, live shows, and experiences not yet built. You reminded us this wasn’t about replicating anything that already exists. It was about building something original and proudly Welsh.
  • To tourism professionals and ride engineers who generously gave us your time, insight, and realism. You kept us grounded, but never small-minded. You helped us strike the balance between ambition and achievability.
  • To accessibility campaigners who challenged our designs and expectations in the right ways, making sure our vision didn’t just include, but centred around, those who are too often left out. Your voices were integrated into every phase of planning, and they will remain essential.
  • To local councillors, town planners, and Welsh Government officials, many of whom engaged with us directly and respectfully, your support helped us align with policy frameworks and future-facing agendas. You saw the opportunity and gave it the space it deserved, even if others didn’t.
  • To families, children, teachers, and parkgoers, some of whom emailed, messaged, or even found us in person to share what Oakwood meant to you. Those comments were passed around the team. They fuelled late-night work. They reminded us who we were doing this for.
  • To every single person who engaged, whether to challenge us, cheer us on, or ask the right hard questions, thank you. This vision became stronger, clearer, and more resilient because of that dialogue.
In every meeting, every document, every pitch, we carried all of you with us.

We remain proud of the vision we presented. It wasn’t perfect, but it was principled. It wasn’t corporate. It was real. Rooted in place. Driven by people. Focused on legacy.

And most importantly, we are proud of the way we pursued it. Openly. Respectfully. Transparently. Without games, PR stunts, or shortcuts.

This wasn’t just a plan. It was a statement of belief.

Thank you for believing in it with us.

RLP

What Comes Next​

We will not chase this further. There will be no follow-up calls. No further emails. No attempts to “revisit” the conversation down the line. If ASPRO’s position changes, they will need to contact us.

This will be our final public statement on the Oakwood matter.

But this is not the end.

The vision we had for Oakwood was never about nostalgia or convenience. It was about creating something bold, lasting, and deeply rooted in Welsh identity. That vision still stands. And it is no longer tied to one site.

We will now begin the process of identifying a new location. Whether through public land partnerships, private acquisition, or direct development, the core principles remain unchanged:

  • A park built around Welsh stories and culture
  • A business model centred on accessibility, sustainability, and public good
  • A multi-phase delivery plan that creates jobs, attracts families, and puts West Wales back on the national tourism map
We leave Oakwood behind, but we carry forward everything we’ve built in pursuit of it, from the concept designs to the partnerships, the investment frameworks to the team behind it.

A modern Welsh theme park will exist. It will happen. And when it does, it will stand as proof that saying “no” to the wrong thing is sometimes what clears the way for the right one.

We gave this everything. We walk away with clarity, with purpose, and without regret.

Thank you.

Richens Leisure Parks
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Quantum said:
It begs the question, if they are not selling it, what are they doing with it?
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Maybe they have another plan in mind they did not say it was permanently closed but for 2025. Maybe they are having rethink to what to do next.

Truth be told really missing Megafobia now was my 3rd favourite coaster in the UK
 
I've stayed silent till now due to the amount of BS that was already being generated however, I do know of someone who (had) seriously looked into acquiring the park and did have discussions with ASPRO about what assets would or would not be included. Obviously those conversations were confidential and I'm not privy to then, however the idea was dropped as being financially "disadvantageous" the words used.
 
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