After a relative quiet period punctuated by the odd contentious wind farm, the Scottish Borders has hit the headlines as a result of the unveiling of two rather ambitious proposals: the Cross Border Connection proposed by Scottish Power Energy Networks and a proposed holiday park by Centre Parcs.
Centre Parcs has announced plans for its first holiday village in Scotland on land to the east of the A7 north of Hawick. The proposals will not be submitted in detail until next year [2025] but will comprise 700 lodges and a range of indoor and outdoor activities, shops, bars, restaurants, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa and the signature indoor water park, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise. It is also proposed to undertaker an extensive programme of afforestation at the 1,000 acres site to create a new woodland area. The company, which currently operates six villages across the UK and Ireland, believes the project will cost between £350m and £400m with between 750 and 800 jobs created during the construction phase. Once completed, Centre Parcs, expects the village to create around 1,200 non-seasonal jobs. It is intended to open a website with an outline of the proposal and updates on the project.
Even before the planning process has started, the leader of Scottish Borders Council, Euan Jardine has described the proposal as an ‘absolutely phenomenal investment’ and ‘fantastic news and great for the area’.
Planning applications for Major developments, such as this proposal require pre-application consultation (PAC) to be carried out between developers and communities. The developers must submit a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to the planning authority before any planning application is submitted. This needs to set out the extent of consultation to be carried out and must be agreed by the planning authority before the consultation begins. Once completed, a copy of the pre-application consultation must be submitted with the application. Holiday villages outwith urban areas are also subject to the requirement of an Environmental Impact Assessment.
There is a long way to go, therefore, before this project sees the light of day and when the planning application eventually arrives on the desks of the council’s Planning Department, accompanied by a wealth of information, no doubt there will be a great deal of head scratching.
Douglas G Hope 