The leisure business said it would spend up to £400m on the new leisure destination for London, creating over 1,000 jobs.

Center Parcs UK said it has taken an option agreement to acquire a 553-acre woodland site at a place called Oldhouse Warren.

Center Parcs will now undertake rigorous site surveys and pre-planning works to ensure the woodland meets the specific requirements of a Center Parcs village, as well as carrying out a programme of community engagement with a view to submitting a planning application to the local authority in due course.

In line with the other Center Parcs villages, it is intended that the site at Oldhouse Warren will include lodges, a range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a variety of restaurants and shops and an Aqua Sana Spa.

Center Parcs’ CEO, Martin Dalby, said: “It is really exciting to have identified a potential site for another Center Parcs village in the UK.

“The proposal we will be submitting will create a significant number of jobs and bring major benefits to the local and national economy.”