The ambitious development proposal was for a night show spectacular using a cast of hundreds of local volunteers to tell a story rooted in local and English history. The inspiration for Kynren came from the Puy du Fou Park in Western France, which over the course of 37 years has grown from a volunteer-led night show to become an international attraction.

Following consultation with Durham County Council and English Heritage, Southern Green Ltd, with the assistance of Fiona Green Garden Historian, and Durham University Archaeology, prepared a combined Landscape Visual and Heritage Appraisal (LVHIA) to assist with the planning application. This appraisal was used by Southern Green in an iterative approach to inform the proposed landscape strategy, and design for the site.

Southern Green was then also appointed to detail the landscape proposals further.