Center Parcs announce plans for West Sussex site
It'll cost £400 million to build and would create around 1,500 new jobs to the area
Last updated 13th Jul 2021
Center Parcs has announced plans to build a £400 million holiday village in West Sussex.
The company has secured an option agreement to acquire privately owned woodland at Oldhouse Warren off Balcombe Road, Worth, Crawley, West Sussex.
Following an extensive search, the 553-acres of woodland has been identified as a suitable site due to its location to the south of London and its excellent transport links.
Center Parcs will now undertake rigorous site surveys and pre-planning works to ensure the woodland meets the specific requirements of a Center Parcs village, as well as carrying out a programme of community engagement with a view to submitting a planning application to the local authority in due course.
In line with the other Center Parcs villages, it is intended that the site at Oldhouse Warren will include lodges, a range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a variety of restaurants and shops and an Aqua Sana Spa.
The development is expected to cost between £350m and £400m and create approximately 1,500 permanent local jobs once operational and a further 1,000 jobs during construction.
Center Parcs’ villages are sympathetically designed to blend into the existing landscape, with no visual impact on the surrounding area, and the company is committed to both protecting and enhancing the forests in which their holiday villages are located. Sustainability is at the heart of the Center Parcs ethos and the new village will be constructed and operated in the most sustainable way possible.
Center Parcs’ CEO, Martin Dalby, said:
“It is really exciting to have identified a potential site for another Center Parcs village in the UK. The proposal we will be submitting will create a significant number of jobs and bring major benefits to the local and national economy.
“Today’s announcement marks the first step of a long journey and there is still a huge amount of work to be done before we can submit a planning application. As a business, we take our responsibility to the local community extremely seriously and look forward to sharing our plans as they progress.”
Brad Hyler, Managing Partner and Head of European Real Estate at Brookfield Asset Management, said:
“Center Parcs is the destination of choice for short breaks in the UK and as owners, we are excited to support its expansion with plans for the sixth UK holiday village. We look forward to continuing to work with the Center Parcs team on delivering this exciting development and the economic benefits it will bring to the local area.”