Center Parcs takes first planning step in bid for £350m Scottish Borders holiday village

The new resort incorporating Huntlaw Farm at Hassendean would represent a £350 million investment and could create up to 1,200 jobs.

Center Parcs currently attracts millions of visitors a year to its six sites across the UK and Ireland.

The plan is to build about 700 lodges with a range of indoor and outdoor activities including an indoor water park.

Ironside Farrar, on behalf of the applicant, has produced a Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening and Scoping report which has been submitted to SBC ahead of a formal planning bid next year.

All the indications are that the development will receive formal approval, with Hawick elected members and council leaders expressing enthusiasm and support for the project and its potential to boost the local economy.

The report offers more details of the planned holiday village.

In addition to lodge accommodation and apartments, central buildings will incorporate a swimming pool, indoor/outdoor leisure, retail and restaurant facilities, staff facilities, spa, ancillary buildings, and outdoor leisure facilities.

It will also include a car park, main access onto the A7, civil and technical infrastructure, woodland planting and lake creation, hard and soft landscaping, and forest management works, along with all other associated infrastructure works and activities, at land between Hawick and Selkirk.

The report states: “The new village will be a large-scale development, comprising c. 700 accommodation units, set within existing and newly-created forested and landscape areas, together with extensive indoor and outdoor recreation, leisure and sports facilities.

“The key elements of the proposed forest holiday village will be broadly similar to those provided at other Center Parcs sites.

“The development site has been chosen through careful site selection and extensive due diligence and capacity studies to ensure the site is suitable for the nature and scale of the proposed development.

“Site selection criteria also included the potential for significant landscape, habitat and woodland improvements which are central components of all Center Parcs villages.

“The site in the Scottish Borders is different to other Center Parcs location which are typically located within large forested areas.

“The existing site includes a range of forestry plantation compartments of varying age, coupled with areas of woodland and notable trees but with larger areas of open grassland and grazing.

“The existing trees and woodland are to be retained as part of the proposed development as informed by a detailed tree survey.”