Center Parcs not building 550-acre site near Crawley

There were proposals to build a £350 million complex on the outskirts of Crawley in Worth Forest.

Holiday park bosses say they have decided the 550-acre Oldhouse Warren site is “not suitable” for a Center Parcs village due to not being able to meet targets to improve biodiversity.

Concerns were raised about the impact on the ancient woodland in the area of Worth Forest which was once used for medieval hunting.

Center Parcs had plans to open just outside Crawley

Colin McKinlay, CEO, said: “We have always been committed to only building our villages in areas where we can improve the biodiversity of the site.

“While 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.

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“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.”

Center Parcs secured an agreement for the privately-owned woodland in July 2021.

The site would have held 900 lodges and created 1,500 permanent jobs once operational.

Jack Taylor, lead campaigner for the Woodland Trust, told The Guardian: “All credit to Center Parcs for pulling out of plans to develop a new park in ancient woodland. It is why proper site assessments are needed in planning and no shortcuts. The proposals would have been disastrous for wildlife and see us lose irreplaceable habitat.”

This article originally appeared in our sister title, The Angus.