Wednesday February 25th 2026
Centre Parcs CEO Colin McKinlay (photo by Jeff Holmes)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
The chief executive officer of Center Parcs has offered Borderers a personal invitation to question him on a new £450m holiday village in the region.
The holiday company was given the green light from Scottish Borders Council in December for its first holiday park in Scotland, on land at and incorporating Huntlaw Farm at Hassendean in Hawick.
The project incorporates lodges, apartment buildings, a swimming pool, indoor leisure facilities, a spa facility, retail shops, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and outdoor leisure facilities.
It is estimated that the development represents a £450m investment in the Borders economy which will create a year-round family destination, bringing significant tourism, employment and environmental benefits to the region.
The development is expected to support between 750 and 800 jobs during the construction phase and create approximately 1,200 permanent roles once operational, the majority of which will be filled by local people.
Center Parcs also offers long-term career opportunities across a range of sectors, including hospitality, retail and village management.
Now as part of ongoing consultation the public will be able to ask questions of CEO Colin McKinlay at a gathering in Hawick Town Hall next month.
Mr McKinlay said: “When we received planning permission in December, we promised that this was not the end of our community engagement.
“Speaking to and listening to the communities surrounding our villages is hugely important to us and we value these relationships.”
The first community drop-in of 2026 will take place at Hawick Town Hall on Wednesday, March 18.
Mr McKinlay and members of his team will be present from 2pm to 7pm to answer questions as work on the site moves closer.
He added: “I do not want to manage expectations, so it is important to note that this is not a recruitment event or supplier event – we are more than happy to answer questions and provide information, but we’re not yet at a stage to have more formal discussions or provide detailed information on opportunities.
“As well as being able to speak face-to-face, we’ll also have broad time-lines of activity over the coming years, information of supplier requirements (in terms of the standards we require suppliers to adhere to) and some top-level information on the types of jobs we offer.”
Anyone with questions can email enquiries.scotland@centerparcs.co.uk or to Paul Hogarth, the company’s public liaison officer, at paul.hogarth@centerparcs.co.uk
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