Center Parcs, one of the UK’s leading holiday villages is to construct a brand new holiday resort, complete with retail and leisure commercial properties in Warren Wood in Woburn, Bedfordshire.
The £250 million development, which is scheduled to be completed by spring 2014, will include a 75 bedroom hotel, 625 forest lodges, 12 spa suites, two indoor sports commercial properties, a swimming pool, restaurants and retail commercial properties.
The news is a welcome boost to Woburn, as the new holiday village will not only create 1200 jobs during the two years of construction, but also a further 1500 jobs when the site is finished.
The tourism aspect that Center Parcs will bring to the local area will have huge economic impacts, which David Cameroon recognised only too well: “Center Parcs is much loved by many and this new site is not only great news for holiday makers but great news for the economy too.
“This expansion and the jobs that it brings will be a real boost to growth and a sign of the increasing investor confidence that there is too.”
The £250 million investment will be partly made up from £100 million investment from Centre Parcs owner, Blackstone, and the remaining £150 million coming from a loan from four major banks: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and The Royal Bank of Scotland.
Speaking of the development of the fifth village, Martin Dalby, Chief Executive said: “I am delighted to be moving ahead with the construction of our new site at Woburn, which will bring significant benefits for both our guests and the wider economy.
“The addition of a fifth site, made possible by the strong support offered by Blackstone and our four lending banks, further enhances our geographic footprint in the UK. As we begin construction at Woburn, I am confident we can continue to deliver both a first class experience for our guests and continue our track record of profitable growth.”
Center Parcs will be celebrating 25 years in operation this year and currently has four other holiday villages around the UK: Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire and Whinfell Forest in Cumbria.
Speaking of the company’s success, Mr Dalby sated: “This is our 25th year of operation and Center Parcs is trading strongly, with occupancy rates of around 97% throughout 2011 and positive forward booking trends for 2012, as guests continue to respond positively to the high quality holiday experience we offer.”
