‘Opening date' for huge £400million Center Parcs in Scotland announced

Scottish Sun

25-04-2025

The planning application is set to be submitted this summer
CENTER OF ATTENTION 'Opening date' for huge £400million Center Parcs in Scotland announced
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CENTER Parcs has revealed they hope to open their very first Scottish holiday village by early 2029.
The tourism giant is set to open the exciting new location in the Scottish Borders.
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Example of proposed executive lodge in woodland
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The holiday village will feature Center Parc's iconic subtropical swimming paradise
The planned site, three miles north of Hawick, Roxburghshire, will house 700 lodges, a 'subtropical swimming paradise' and an Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
At a public consultation event held on Thursday an updated version of the village masterplan was presented to local residents.
This event marked the third of four community consultation events as part of the ongoing planning process.
Included in the plans are six designated zones for lodges, plus family-friendly leisure, dining and other essential amenities including the chain's much loved Pancake House.
The layout of the accommodation, which includes woodland lodges and an apartment block, was also revealed, along with a range of outdoor and adventure facilities including tree trekking, adventure golf, and a zip wire.
Additional detail was also shared on the carefully designed lochs, wildflower meadows, nature walks, and wetlands of the development.
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The proposed new village will be located near Hawick in the Scottish Borders
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Cabins will vary in size to suit all families
A dedicated Nature and Heritage Centre —complete with restaurant and coffee shop - is also planned, which Center Parcs say will be both educational and 'a welcome spot for guests to relax'.
The masterplan also outlines extensive landscaping and screening measures to ensure the village blends into the surrounding natural environment.
The plans showed how integrated paths and access roads have been designed to 'preserve the village's tranquillity while enhancing guests' connection to the surrounding natural landscape'.
After the event Colin McKinlay, chief executive of Center Parcs told BBC Radio Scotland: "All being well, we'd like to submit a planning application by the summer... once that's done, we are a little bit in the hands of the process.
Center Parcs reveals hugenew holiday resort opening in the UK
"But, if we're successful, I would envisage us moving forward to a programme that would start building probably early in 2027 and hopefully opening as early as spring 2029."
The final public consultation event will take place in Hawick on Tuesday 20th May with a Community Open Day being hosted on Wednesday 21st May, where further detail will be revealed including new CGI of the proposed development, after which they will submit a formal planning application to Scottish Borders Council this summer.
Mr McKinlay, added: "We're pleased to share the latest version of the masterplan with the community and show how their feedback is helping to shape the future of the Scottish Borders village.
"From the layout of our lodges to the design of key facilities like the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Forest Spa, every detail has been carefully considered to reflect the unique character of the location.
"We have made good progress so far in our design, technical and consultation work and we are committed to continuing positive collaboration as we move towards submitting our planning application."
If permission is granted the development is expected to generate between 750 and 800 jobs during the construction phase.
Once operational, the village will create approximately 1,200 permanent, non-seasonal roles—offering a wide range of career opportunities for local residents, including management positions.
The total investment in the project is estimated at between £350 million and £400 million.