£400m holiday park ‘will transform the Borders’ and create 1,200 jobs

Bosses behind plans for a £400m holiday park in the Borders say it will “transform leisure and tourism” in the area and create more than 1,200 jobs.
Center Parcs outlined their vision for their first Scottish holiday village during an event at Hawick Rugby Club, on 5 November 2024.
Center Parcs aim to submit a planning application for 700 holiday lodges – located three miles north of Hawick – in 2025.
The company believes the investment will provide ‘significant benefits’ including more than 1,000 jobs in the local economy.
Center Parcs says more than 700 construction jobs will be generated during the building phase of the project, as well as 1,200 permanent non-seasonal jobs once the village is open.
Colin McKinlay, Chief Executive Officer of Center Parcs, believes the proposals will “transform leisure and tourism” in the Scottish Borders.
He said: “Center Parcs is an exceptionally popular destination for families in the UK and Ireland and there is robust demand to support a seventh village.
“Many Scottish families already visit Center Parcs villages in England, and this village will offer the chance for people to enjoy their holidays closer to home, which in turn will benefit the local economy.
“Sustainability is core to our values. In our three decades of operating in the UK and Ireland, we have transformed areas of commercial woodland into a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, considerably enhancing the biodiversity of each village.
“This site gives us the opportunity to take a bold, new approach and create a woodland ourselves, delivering significant biodiversity net gain and planting thousands of new trees.
“We have already conducted a significant number of surveys to assess the site and we intend to continue with additional site surveys and design development, alongside a programme of pre-planning application consultation and community engagement.”
The holiday facility will offer a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa, Center Parcs’ indoor water park and the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.
Center Parcs aims to deliver ‘significant’ biodiversity across their proposed facility by undertaking an extensive programme of afforestation.
David Hope-Jones, Chief Executive of The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA), thinks the proposals will “bring new visitors to the region and increase interest in the South of Scotland”.
“The scale of the investment and potential is immense; it represents a huge endorsement of our region’s fast-growing reputation as a year-round destination.
“With an estimated 1,200 new local jobs set to be created, in addition to those created during the construction, this has the potential to transform many of our local communities.
“Our South of Scotland 2024-34 Responsible Tourism Strategy aims to increase the number of jobs in our visitor economy by 6,000 over the next decade and this one proposed development has the potential to achieve 20% of this ten-year regional target.
“In addition, Center Parcs has a strong commitment to using local food & drink produce, contracting local suppliers, and supporting its local communities through its Community Fund and a Charity Fund work.
“With many thousands of visitors each year expected to stay at the proposed Center Parc village, this is a huge opportunity to see many of them exploring the local area before, during and after their visits, increasing spend in the local tourism economy.”
The SSDA is a tourism organisation which represents nearly 700 businesses across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
The holiday site will be located near the A7 trunk road between Hawick and Selkirk on land currently owned by Buccleuch Group. The option agreement covers around 1,000 acres of land – the developed site is expected to cover 400 acres.
Benny Higgins, Executive Chairman of the Buccleuch Group, said: “This project promises to have an outstandingly positive impact on tourism and leisure in the Scottish Borders and we are delighted to have signed an option agreement that will enable Center Parcs to take the next steps towards fulfilling its ambitions.”
Scottish Borders MP, John Lamont, said: “I am looking forward to seeing these proposals come forward as there is potential for a considerable boost to jobs, local businesses and our economy.
“Investment in Hawick and surrounding communities is welcome, particularly if hundreds of jobs are created as a result.”
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