The pool at a Center Parcs resort.

Center parcs to hold open day at ballymahon

Center Parcs, the holiday resort operator which is to open at Newcastle Woods, is to hold an open day in Ballymahon next Wednesday.

The Open Day, which will be held between 10am and 8pm in Cooney’s Hotel, Ballymahon, follows the announcement by Center Parcs in April that the company intends to submit a planning application to Longford County Council later this year to develop a new €200million Center Parcs holiday village in Newcastle Wood, five kilometres from Ballymahon in County Longford. 

Local residents, business people, community interest groups and all other interested parties from Ballymahon and the surrounding areas are invited to attend the Open Day.

Center Parcs’ senior management team will be on hand to discuss the Center Parcs brand, how the company contributes to the communities within which it operates, and the type of employment opportunities that Center Parcs offers.

The development will create approximately 750 jobs during construction and once open, would have capacity for up to 2,500 guests and employ up to 1,000 people in permanent jobs. Many of these roles are expected to be filled by employees between the ages of 18 and 24, and the majority of employees are likely to live locally.  Center Parcs estimates that, when operational, the new holiday village would add approximately €32 million to Irish GDP per annum.

Detailed information on the specifics of the planning application will be available later in the year. This is an introductory event, and Center Parcs will be holding specific events for recruitment and supplier opportunities as the project progresses.

Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs, said:

“The Open Day is a great opportunity for us to meet with the local community again in a more informal setting and answer any questions they may have about Center Parcs in County Longford. 

We were overwhelmed by the welcome and positive support we received when we announced our plans in April and we’re excited to be back in the area.”

Subject to receiving satisfactory planning permission, the new Center Parcs Village in Newcastle Wood is expected to open to guests in 2019.

Center Parcs offers high quality short breaks in a secluded and natural woodland setting. The proposed new development will bring together the high quality features for which Center Parcs is renowned, including up to 500 lodges, designed with families and the environment in mind, more than 100 indoor and outdoor activities, a spa, a range of restaurants and cafés and the iconic Subtropical Swimming Paradise, with water rides and fun for all ages.

Over the last 28 years, Center Parcs has exhibited a proven track record of taking commercial woodlands and, through careful forest management, transforming them into areas rich in biodiversity. Each village has a dedicated team of Conservation Rangers who protect and nurture the woodland.