€85m expansion plans for Center Parcs lodged
It only opened in the summer of 2019, but Center Parcs could be about to get much bigger after the short-break holiday company lodged plans for a major expansion of its Ballymahon resort at an estimated cost of €85 million.
The application, lodged with Longford County Council on Friday last, August 5, covers the provisions of 198 new lodges, a lakeside restaurant and a coffee shop.
In addition, extensions to the hugely popular Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana spa form another substantial element of the plans, which includes a new treetop sauna and additional treatment rooms.
An expansion of leisure and food and beverage facilities to accommodate more guests involves several extensions to existing Village Centre restaurants including Huck's restaurant, Cara's restaurant, Sports Café restaurant and Bella Italia restaurant.
A new District Heating system is also proposed for the site with an Energy Centre, a staff welfare and storage building, two remote housekeeping stores and extensions to the housekeeping and technical buildings to provide storage. New solar panels would be installed on the sports hall, sports cafe and sports hall extension, the newly lodged plans reveal.
A new car park is proposed to provide 313 car parking spaces for staff, and the provision of electrical vehicle charging points is also included with new cycle parking.
Of the 198 new lodges, the vast majority (105) planned are three bedroom lodges, there are 56 new two bedroom lodges, 32 four bedroom lodges, four six-bedroom lodges and one five bed lodge. External sauna/pods will would be provided with specific lodges which will be located in three zones within the 160 hectare forest holiday village.
The UK-based firm previously confirmed that the planned expansion proposed would bring the capacity of the Ballymahon village up to 3,500 when it is full.
New landscaping, perimeter fencing and an upgrade of the wastewater treatment system forms another part of the project on the Newcastle Wood site.
Despite several pandemic enforced closures and restrictions over the last two years, Center Parcs reached the momentous milestone of over one million visitors at the Longford Forest resort recently.
The firm, which operates six forest holiday villages between the UK and Ireland, announced the news on social media to coincide with the birthday of the Ballymahon holiday village in Newcastle Wood at the end of July.
It's estimated that 300 jobs would be created during the construction phase of the expansion project, should it progress through the planning process.