Tuesday November 5th 2024
One of the photographs on the Center Parcs Scotland website.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Tourism in the Scottish Borders today received a massive shot in the arm after it was revealed that Center Parcs plan to build a £400m holiday village outside of Hawick.
The development, consisting of 700 lodges, is expected to create more than one thousand permanent non-seasonal jobs.
The announcement was made today at a gathering of community leaders and business and political representatives at Hawick Rugby Club.
Those in attendance were told that the development “offers the opportunity to transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders”.
It will be Center Parcs first holiday village in Scotland, with the company already established as the UK and Ireland’s leading premium family short-break provider.
The site chosen, approximately three miles north of Hawick and 55 miles south of Edinburgh, is well-located and would provide “significant benefits to the local economy in Scotland, including job creation”.
Proposals are at an early stage and Center Parcs intend to submit a planning application to Scottish Borders Council in 2025.
The proposed village will be a similar concept to Center Parcs’ existing six holiday villages in England and Ireland, and a planning application will be submitted for approximately 700 lodges.
The site will offer a range of indoor and outdoor activities, shops, bars, restaurants, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa and Center Parcs’ iconic indoor water park, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.
Center Parcs plans to undertake an extensive programme of afforestation, carefully cultivating a new woodland and delivering significant biodiversity net gain on the site. Currently, the site is predominantly open grassland with some woodland areas.
Colin McKinlay, chief executive officer of Center Parcs, said: “This is a tremendously exciting project and offers the opportunity to transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders. Center Parcs is an exceptionally popular destination for families in the UK and Ireland and there is robust demand to support a seventh village.
“Throughout our history, we have demonstrated that a Center Parcs village provides significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally.
“Many Scottish families already visit Center Parcs villages in England, and this village will offer the chance for people to enjoy their holidays closer to home, which in turn will benefit the local economy.
“Sustainability is core to our values. In our three decades of operating in the UK and Ireland, we have transformed areas of commercial woodland into a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, considerably enhancing the biodiversity of each village. This site gives us the opportunity to take a bold, new approach and create a woodland ourselves, delivering significant biodiversity net gain and planting thousands of new trees.
“We are at an early stage with these proposals and have a lengthy and thorough planning process ahead. We have already conducted a significant number of surveys to assess the site and we intend to continue with additional site surveys and design development, alongside a programme of pre-planning application consultation and community engagement.”
During the construction phase of the project, 750-800 mainly regional jobs will be created, and local contractors will be used where possible.
Once operational, the village is expected to create around 1,200 permanent non-seasonal jobs. These will be largely local jobs and offer significant career opportunities, including management positions. Once operational, local suppliers will be used as much as possible.
The estimated investment to build the new village will be between £350m-£400m.
The site lies to the east of the A7 trunk road between Hawick and Selkirk on land owned by the Buccleuch Group, which has signed an option agreement with Center Parcs.
The agreement covers approximately 1,000 acres of land, comprising open grassland and some woodland. It is expected that development on the site will extend to 400 acres.
Benny Higgins, executive chairman of the Buccleuch Group, said: “This project promises to have an outstandingly positive impact on tourism and leisure in the Scottish Borders and we are delighted to have signed an option agreement that will enable Center Parcs to take the next steps towards fulfilling its ambitions.”
A website outlining the plans www.centerparcsscotland.co.uk will provide updates on the project.
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