PLANS to open the first Center Parcs holiday village in Scotland have taken "a major step forward".
Details of the plans for the holiday village just north of Hawick were announced at Center Parcs’ first community event held at Hawick Rugby Football Club this week.
The company has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PoAN) to Scottish Borders Council, with a full planning application expected this summer.
This allows the community to put their views directly to the developer before a planning application is submitted.
Center Parcs has six holiday villages across the UK and Ireland: Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire, Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire and Longford Forest in Ireland.
Its vision for the site, which is earmarked for between Selkirk and Hawick, is to create a new woodland and lochs which will "significantly increase biodiversity".
The new holiday village would have up to 700 lodges, a spa, an indoor water park, indoor and outdoor leisure and sports facilities, as well as a mixture of retail and restaurant facilities, bars, coffee shops and a local heritage centre.
During construction, the project is expected to generate between 750 and 800 jobs, with a commitment to engaging regional contractors where possible.
Once operational, the village will create approximately 1200 permanent, non-seasonal roles. The total investment to bring this new village to life is estimated at between £350m and £400m.
Colin McKinlay, CEO of Center Parcs, said: “This first step towards applying for planning permission to realise our vision is an extremely important moment for us, and we are fully committed to a thorough programme of community engagement and consultation before the full planning application is submitted.
“We know from experience the significant economic and social benefits a Center Parcs village brings to the local area, and we are excited at the prospect of bringing a Center Parcs village to the Scottish Borders, creating a fantastic destination for families.
“We have already received extremely valuable feedback from the community, and we want to ensure that as many local people as possible see what we propose and are able to ask questions and provide feedback.”
In addition to previously announced community information sessions, Center Parcs proposes to hold at least four further formal public consultation events.
The events, which all run from 2pm to 7pm, will be held at:
- Currie Memorial Hall, Lilliesleaf: February 26
- Denholm Village Hall: March 26
- Selkirk RFC: April 24
- Hawick RFC: May 20
As well as this, Center Parcs will host a Community Open Day at Hawick RFC on May 21 from 11am to 7pm.
