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Update on proposed Center Parcs development in West Sussex

View of lake with forest and lodges in the distance

9 February 2023

Center Parcs announces plans for sixth UK holiday village

Center Parcs has today announced it will not be progressing plans to develop a forest holiday village at Oldhouse Warren, West Sussex.

In July 2021, the business secured an option agreement to acquire privately owned woodland.

We have a longstanding record of enhancing the habitats in which we build our villages and at the very heart of this is choosing a site that meets our specific environmental and social requirements. As part of our usual pre-planning process, we have undertaken rigorous environmental and ecological site surveys and, having analysed all the detail from these surveys, we have concluded that the site at Oldhouse Warren is not a suitable location for a Center Parcs village.

Center Parcs’ CEO, Colin McKinlay, said: “We have always been committed to only building our villages in areas where we can improve the biodiversity of the site. Whilst it is obviously disappointing that we will not be able to bring Center Parcs to this part of West Sussex, this decision demonstrates how seriously we take our responsibility to the environment, as well as our ongoing commitment to enhancing the natural habitats in which our villages are located. Through our customer insights, we are confident that there is strong demand in the UK market for a sixth Center Parcs village and, with this in mind, we will continue our search for a suitable site.”

Notes to Editors

  • Center Parcs operates six high-quality short break villages across the UK and Ireland: Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest in Suffolk; Longleat Forest in Wiltshire; Whinfell Forest in Cumbria; Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire; and Longford Forest in County Longford, Ireland.
  • As the UK & Ireland’s leading short break holiday operator, Center Parcs enjoys average annual occupancy rates of 97%, welcoming approximately 2.5 million guests each year.
  • A strong sense of responsibility towards the environment is embedded in the roots of our business and our commitment to operating in a sustainable and ethical way has never been more important.