Center Parcs holiday village granted planning permission

It’s full steam ahead for the €230m Center Parcs holiday village in Ballymahon after Longford County Council’s planners gave the project the green light today.

The holiday village is to be developed on a 395 acre site in Newcastle Wood, five kilometres from Ballymahon. Center Parcs’ first foray into the Irish tourism market, the development is to include 470 lodges, 30 apartments, a spa, restaurants, cafes and shops, and a “Subtropical Swimming Paradise”.

According to Center Parcs, the development will create 750 jobs during the construction phase and 1,000 permanent jobs once it's up and running. The firm estimates that once operational the village will generate approximately €32m to the national GDP per annum and €1bn over the next 20 years.

Center Parcs says that the construction phase of the project will take two years, with the holiday village set to open to the public in 2019.

In a statement released today, Center Parcs CEO Martin Dalby, said: “This is a very important milestone for Center Parcs and we would like to thank Longford County Council for having the confidence in our proposal to grant planning permission. Engagement and dialogue with the local community in Ballymahon and the wider Longford area has been an important part of our approach, and will continue during the next steps of the planning process. The positive outcome recognises the transformative impact Center Parcs Longford Forest will have on the midlands region in terms of jobs, tourism and wider economic benefits.”