PLANNING permission has been granted for the creation of Scotland’s first Center Parcs village in the Scottish Borders.
The £450 million build of the holiday destination is set to create over 1,200 jobs, as well as opportunities for local suppliers and businesses across the south of Scotland.
Detailed design work and tendering processes will now begin, with Center Parcs adding that it aims to begin work at the site in spring 2026. Should construction progress as anticipated, it is hoped the new village will open in summer 2029, it added.
Center Parcs announced it will name the new village ‘Center Parcs Scottish Borders’, seeking to attract more families to the area and contributing to the region’s wider tourism goals. The project is expected to contribute £75 million each year to the Scottish Borders economy, including £8.8 million in tourism spend.
Over the months and years to come, Center Parcs said it will maintain a strong programme of engagement with local communities, businesses and stakeholders. The company will also host information sessions, as well as supplier and recruitment events aligned to key stages of the project.
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.”
Center Parcs Scottish Borders will see the company plant a forest for the first time, carefully selecting complementary and native species to create a thriving woodland. The village will feature up to 700 lodges and apartments, the iconic Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a Village Centre with shops and restaurants, and the signature Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
Other key features of the proposal include two newly created lochs designed for water sports and recreation, a combined Nature and Heritage Centre with, wildflower meadows, nature trails, and wetlands to promote biodiversity as well as a wide range of outdoor activities, integrated sympathetically into the landscape.
It will be Center Parcs’ first new village since the opening of Longford Forest in Ireland in 2019.
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.”
