Opening date for Scotland's first Center Parcs announced

THE opening date for the first Center Parcs site in Scotland has been announced.

The new holiday village could open in the Scottish Borders in 2029, bosses have said.

The planned site, three miles north of Hawick, Roxburghshire, will house 700 lodges, a "subtropical swimming paradise" and an Aqua Sana Forest Spa.

(Image: PA) 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.

Updated masterplan of the site (Image: Center Parcs) The National reported how proposed plans include an arrivals building, car parks, a spa, village centre, six designated zones for lodges, a sports loch, a wildflower meadow, a nature walk, wetlands, and space for outdoor activities.

There will also be a combined nature and heritage centre which will have an adjacent restaurant and coffee shop.

More details were released on Thursday about the layout of the accommodation, which includes woodland lodges and an apartment block, along with a range of outdoor and adventure facilities including tree trekking, adventure golf, and a zip wire.

(Image: Center Parcs) The plan also outlines extensive landscaping and screening measures to ensure the holiday village blends into the surrounding natural environment.

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.

"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 May 20 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.

If permission is granted the development is expected to generate between 750 and 800 jobs during the construction phase.

Once operational, the holiday village could create approximately 1200 permanent, non-seasonal roles.

The total investment in the project is estimated at between £350 million and £400m.