A motorcycle producer whose bikes have appeared in Hollywood films is hoping to open a historic motorcycle showcase facility.

The single-storey premises will include a large showroom, a merchandise shop, a cafe, an entrance hall with a display room and space for manufacturing the bikes – which involves assembling parts made off site.

If accepted by Vale of White Horse District Council the building, named the Rickman motorcycle plant, after the founders of Metisse motorcycles, would be constructed at the Carswell Home Farm, at Carswell Golf Club, in Faringdon.

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The current site is a greenfield site on the northern edge of the golf course, with an area of roughly 3.95 hectares.

The site lies within the hamlet of Carswell, approximately 1.7km south-west of Buckland Village, and is bounded to the north by the A420 and to the east, south and west by agricultural land.

The application was made by Gerardo Lisi, the owner of Carswell Golf Club, which was closed in 2019 with staff let go.

The Metisse motorcycle brand has a long history dating back to the 1950’s, and the display area of the building will celebrate this history.

Mr Lisi, who plans to run the facility, has produced motorcycles under the Metisse brand for many years and his bikes have featured in many TV episodes of the World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides.

His bikes have also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters such as the Man from uncle movie.

The bikes are of a specialist high end nature both in price and exclusivity, which makes the production low scale, all built by hand.

The display area would house historic motorcycles loaned to Metisse by their owners with information about the owners and their motorcycling achievements.

The motorcycle workshop and display area is planned to have 43 dedicated staff and visitor car parking spaces to the front including three disabled bays, together with motorcycle and cycle spaces.

This application would create new employment, and enable the existing Metisse manufacturing workshops on the site to be demolished and relocated to this new purpose built facility.

It is also hoped that the workshops will offer educational opportunities for school and college students to learn about motorcycle engineering and assembly.

In the design and access statement of the application it states: “There are no competing facilities in the area, and it is designed in a style that fits in with the surrounding architecture.

“It is well screened from the surrounding landscape and will boost the tourist economy of the Vale, together with trade at nearby hotels, pubs and other facilities.”

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1