Delay in lodging plans for €85m expansion of Center Parcs

Center Parcs has admitted that detailed design and site survey works are taking “longer than expected” meaning that a planning application for an €85 million expansion of the forest holiday park, which is expected to create 250 new jobs, will not be submitted until the middle of 2022.

Initially, when the announcement was made back in June of last year, the UK-based company had hoped to have the plans lodged with Longford County Council by the end of 2021, and pending planning could begin work in 2023.

However, following a query from the Westmeath Independent, a Center Parcs spokesperson explained a delay in the timeline for the extension of the forest holiday village in Newcastle Wood, a short distance from Ballymahon.

“Since the announcement in June, we have been busy undertaking detailed design and site survey works ahead of the submission of our planning application. We take our environmental responsibilities and our commitment to conducting thorough surveys extremely seriously, and some of these surveys are taking longer than we had first anticipated.

“With this in mind, we are now aiming to submit our planning application for this project by the middle of 2022.”

Despite several pandemic enforced closures in 2020 and 2021, Center Parcs surprised many in the industry, when it announced the ambitious expansion plans at a virtual press conference attended by the company's CEO Martin Dalby, and General Manager of Longford Forest Daragh Feighery last June.

The €85 million project would see an additional 200 new holiday lodges developed at the site in Newcastle Wood, including four luxury treehouses, extra sports and leisure facilities, new food and beverage outlets, and an extension of the Sub Tropical Swimming Paradise and spa facilities on-site. Back-of-house facilities for workers are also proposed.

The Longford Forest holiday village currently has 466 lodges and 30 apartments, with a capacity for up to 2,500 guests per break. The expansion proposed would bring that capacity up to 3,500 when full.

It already employs 1,000 people, with many drawn from the wider Athlone, South Westmeath and South Longford areas.

Center Parcs says it has written to local residents to update them on the change to the timeline for the development, and is planning to hold a community event, either virtual or in-person, in spring 2022.

The park will not close during the construction work and guests will not be impacted.

Once complete, the development will create in the region of 250 jobs, and Center Parcs expects the latest growth to result in €80 million of income for the Exchequer.

Only open since July 2019, the €233 million holiday village has been a “huge success” according to the CEO Martin Dalby, and this proposed extension of facilities will be developed within the current boundary, covering 400 acres of woodland.

Although Center Parcs had to close its doors for many months during the coronavirus pandemic, the company said it is “almost fully booked for the summer months” and their “forward bookings are strong” in 2022.

Like many other businesses, Center Parcs conceded that it has faced recruitment challenges over recent months, however, the firm says it is beginning to see “staffing levels gradually increase” and they are looking forward to welcoming even more families to the holiday park in 2022.