Center Parcs gets green light for 700-lodge park in Scottish Borders
The holiday village is due to be open by Summer 2029.
Center Parcs has been given the green light for a 700-lodge park in the Borders due to open by summer 2029.
Center Parcs Scottish Borders will be built near Hawick, and is the first site to be developed by the firm in Scotland following a £450m investment.
A Subtropical Swimming Paradise and an Aqua Sana Forest Spa sit at the heart of the plans, with the holiday village set to attract around 350,000 guests a year and create 1,200 permanent jobs once open.
READ MORE: ‘Center Parcs coming to the Scottish Borders is like landing a blue whale in a medium-sized pond’
Councillors on the Scottish Borders planning committee approved the proposals at a meeting this morning.
Around 40 objections were lodged by members of the public, with concerns over the scale of the development - which covers 400 hectares, larger than some villages in the Borders - and its appearance in the rural landscape - raised.
But councillors backed the application given the scale of the investment and its ability to grow the tourist sector in the Borders, particularly family holidays. Once open, around 1,200 permanent jobs are due to be created.
The site for the holiday park covers agricultural land elevated above Hawick, which was latterly owned by the Duke of Buccleuch.
Around 700 lodges and apartments are proposed, alongwith shops, bars, coffee shops and restaurants to the site. Lochs for watersports and woodland, which will screen the holiday park over time, will also be created.
A report to councillors noted that the development will “significantly alter the local landscape character, though this is not inherently negative if changes are beneficial’.
It added: “Extensive woodland planting will help integrate the holiday village into the landscape over time, enhancing the area's wooded character.”
However, concerns were raised by officials over the scale, form and roof colour of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise give it would be “visually prominent” from several elevated viewpoints, including the Eildon Hills, Rubers Law and Minto Hill.
Center Parcs will have to provide samples of all building materials to council officers for approval, before work begins.
A full tree assessment has also been recommended to track the impact on existing woodland and the forestry to be planted.
Around 250 jobs will be created in the construction phase, expected to last two-and-a-half years - adding £15m to the Borders’ economy.
Once opened, Center Parcs is set to generate £75m for the local economy and create 1,380 full-time equivalent jobs, including 1,200 permanent jobs.
This will push £30 to £40m worth of annual salaries into the local economy, Center Parcs said.
The 700 new lodges and apartments signals a 55% increase in regional capacity for holiday accommodation, with 356,700 overnight visitors expected a year.
More people are expected to visit Hawick, Selkirk, and surrounding towns as a result
The development is expected to generate up to 4,000 vehicle movements per day on peak days, with significant additional traffic through Selkirk and Hawick, although it is believed the local road network has capacity to deal with the extra traffic, subject to some minor alterations.
A report to council added the development of Center Parcs would "re-shape" the Borders’ economic base with a stable, year-round employer.
A report to council said: “Center Parcs is an internationally recognised brand and its decision to create its first Scottish site in the Scottish Borders is a significant vote of confidence in the region, which will raise the profile of the Borders within the tourism market and beyond. As such, it is an endorsement of the Borders’ potential as a high-quality, family-friendly destination, which would considerably raise the profile of the region on the tourism map.”
Colin McKinlay, CEO of Center Parcs, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured planning permission for the creation of our seventh Center Parcs village.
“It has been a whirlwind journey since we first announced our intention to bring Center Parcs to the region, and the welcome we have received from local communities, businesses and stakeholders has been genuinely heartening. Their engagement has been invaluable in shaping the design of the village and in supporting the development of a robust, well-considered planning application, and we look forward to continuing that engagement in the months and years ahead.
“We’re also pleased to confirm that the new village will be named Center Parcs Scottish Borders. We explored a range of options, but this was the name we kept returning to. Put simply, we want the village to be an anchor destination that draws visitors to this wonderful region – and we believe this name will help do exactly that. The opportunities this development will create for the area are truly enabling and transformative.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have secured planning permission for the creation of our seventh Center Parcs village.
“It has been a whirlwind journey since we first announced our intention to bring Center Parcs to the region, and the welcome we have received from local communities, businesses and stakeholders has been genuinely heartening. Their engagement has been invaluable in shaping the design of the village and in supporting the development of a robust, well-considered planning application, and we look forward to continuing that engagement in the months and years ahead.”
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