Scotland's first Center Parcs receives planning approval

Plans for Center Parcs to open its first holiday village in Scotland have been approved.

The site, which will be named “Centre Parcs Scottish Borders”, is located three miles north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders and will feature around 700 lodges within a newly forested landscape.

A planning application was submitted in July following eight months of public consultation.

Now, Scottish Borders Council planning officers say they are satisfied with the plans despite objections from around 40 people living near the site.

Concerns had been raised over the impact on the landscape, noise, loss of farmland, additional traffic, and restricted access.

Center Parcs Scotland: CGI image of the Watersports Loch. Center Parcs

Center Parcs Scotland: CGI image of the Village Square. Center Parcs

Colin McKinlay, CEO of Centre Parcs, said the park will create “enabling and transformative” opportunities.

He 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.”

Masterplan of the Center Parcs village in the Scottish Borders. Center Parcs

Center Parcs said more than 1,000 members of the public provided feedback that has “shaped and refined” the final design proposals.

The site includes waterside lodges, apartments, lochs, a spa, a sports plaza, and a nature and heritage centre.

The Scottish village has been modelled on Center Parcs’ six existing villages across England and Ireland.

The total investment for the new village is estimated at between £350m and £400m.

Between 750 and 800 jobs could be created during construction with around 1,200 permanent, year-round roles to be created.

Colin added: “This village will be truly unique. The scale of the site, the setting and the ability to plant and shape a brand-new forest give us the chance to take a bold step forward in both design and sustainability.

“Center Parcs Scottish Borders will allow us to reach a new market, attracting families from across Scotland and the north of England who may not have previously considered a Center Parcs break. We know there is strong demand, and this village will meet it with a modern offer that reflects what families want from a premium short break.

“Sustainability sits at the core of this project. From the creation of an entirely new woodland – planting hundreds of thousands of trees – to the restoration of natural habitats and the integration of green technologies, this village will embody the low-impact, nature-positive approach that defines Center Parcs.

“It is an investment not just in tourism, but in the landscape, the local economy and the long-term future of the Scottish Borders.”

The village will lie 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, with the main development being built on approximately 500 acres on the eastern section of the site.

Benny Higgins, Executive Chairman of the Buccleuch Group, said: “This is tremendously exciting news for the Scottish Borders. Outstanding social, economic and environmental benefits have been delivered at other Center Parcs locations, and I have no doubt the Scottish Borders will enjoy a similar positive impact.

“Buccleuch is proud to be playing a role in helping to facilitate this project, and we look forward to collaborating with Center Parcs in the decades ahead.”