Latest news with #Parcs
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Scotland's first Center Parcs could be open by 2029, says boss
Scotland's first Center Parcs holiday village could be open by early 2029, the company's chief executive has McKinlay told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme the £400m project should have major benefits for the area - both during construction and once it was up and Parcs wants to put up 700 lodges and accompanying tourist facilities on a site to the north of Hawick in the Borders - creating about 1,200 company hopes to submit its planning application this summer in order to allow building work to start in 2027. Mr McKinlay was speaking ahead of the company's latest information day in the area being held in Parcs currently attracts millions of visitors a year to its six sites across the UK and chief executive said they had identified the Borders as a "real opportunity"."It fits so many of our criteria in terms of the area, in terms of the demographic profile of people around the area," he said the company already had a large number of Scots going to holiday villages in England."It was staring us in the face as the obvious place to look to put our next village," he added. Mr McKinlay said they would look "wherever possible" to employ locally and offer opportunities to stop people leaving the region."We've found in our other village areas that lots of young people who've typically left an area in search of career opportunities have actually stayed in the area," he said."That was our experience in our last village we built in Ireland."He also defended Center Parcs from criticism that it generated little spending in the wider community outside its villages."Once we open, we look to procure as many goods and services as we can locally - that has an impact on local business," he added that people coming to stay would often stay for three or four nights and then go on to "explore the area as well". Mr McKinlay also stressed that an assessment of the traffic and environmental impact of the scheme would be carried out as part of the planning all that goes as the company hopes, the first visitors could be staying at the holiday village within four years."All being well, we'd like to submit a planning application by the summer," he said."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."
BBC News
12-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Center Parcs: How do Borderers view their Hawick plans?
Plans for a £400m holiday village in the Scottish Borders appear to have received an overwhelming vote of confidence from nearby Parcs marked the submission of an official Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to the local planning department by hosting a drop-in and feedback from attendees during the eight-hour event were almost entirely Parcs chief executive Colin McKinlay said: "We have been thrilled by the reception we've had - not just today but ever since we announced our intentions to come to Scotland last November." Center Parcs wants to erect 700 lodges and accompanying tourist facilities on a site to the north of 1,200 permanent jobs are being promised within the holiday park - and a further 800 jobs will be supported during the construction over additional traffic and its environmental impact have been previously expressed, but during the first community consultation event at Hawick Rugby Club on Wednesday the mood was almost entirely visiting the Center Parcs community day, Ronald Duffy from Hawick said: "I thought farmers living nearby would be concerned as it would affect them, but even they seem very positive about what it will bring."At the moment a lot of people drive through the Borders heading north, but I think Center Parcs will make the area a destination in its own right." To coincide with the planning notice being submitted to Scottish Borders Council, the company is embarking on a series of consultation events in the area.A full planning application is scheduled for submission this summer with long-term plans in place, if permission is granted, for work to begin at the start of McKinlay added: "We are not presuming we are just going to be given planning permission, we are here to listen to what the communities around the site think."We want to be here for the long-term and that means making sure it works for everyone." Laura Middlemass, who is a member of the Borders Chamber of Commerce, was impressed with what she saw and heard at the drop-in said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the Scottish Borders."Center Parcs seems to be very invested in helping local business, and that's a good thing."Hawick resident Brian Emmerson is also supportive of the plans for a holiday village outside his home said: "This will be a great boost for the local economy with all the jobs it's creating, and it will put Hawick on the tourist map."
BBC News
29-01-2025
- Business
- BBC News
First Scottish Center Parcs plans near Hawick up for scrutiny
Plans for the first Center Parcs holiday village in Scotland are being put out for scrutiny by the company announced its multi-million pound proposals for the site near Hawick last year.A first drop-in event to discuss the scheme will be held at the town's rugby club on 12 community liaison officer Paul Hogarth said his priority was to "listen to local voices" about the plans which Center Parcs said could have a "transformative" effect on the area. The company revealed its 700-lodge plans in November which it said would represent an investment of between £350m and £400m and could create up to 1,200 currently attracts millions of visitors a year to its six sites across the UK and Ireland. The company has said its plans for a Scottish site are still at an "early stage".Senior company leaders will be at Hawick Rugby Club to share an overview of their plans, answer questions and gather then hope to submit a planning application later this year which will include a range of indoor and outdoor activities alongside the Parcs said it would create between 750 to 800 jobs during construction with a "strong focus" on using local contractors. Chief executive officer Colin McKinlay said: "We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring a Center Parcs village to the Scottish Borders, creating a fantastic destination for families while delivering significant economic and social benefits to the local area."Ensuring excellent community engagement is fundamental to everything we do, and this public presentation is a vital part of ensuring we work in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders from the very beginning."Paul Hogarth said that as someone with his roots in Hawick and the Borders he was delighted to become liaison officer for the scheme."My priority is to listen to local voices and ensure that we work together to develop plans that respect and enhance what the region already has to offer," he said."I look forward to meeting local people at the public meetings and pre-planning exhibitions in the months ahead."
