Builders expected at €230 million Center Parcs site in May

The developers of the massive Center Parcs forest holiday village near Ballymahon expect building work to begin on-site in May, it's emerged following the company's inaugural community forum meeting in the area.

It's a little later than the spring deadline first announced at a reception in the town last July, which was attended by Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor. However, there has been activity on the Longford Forest site since that date with the felling of the trees taking place in Newcastle Wood since mid-November.
“The infrastructure contract will be on-site in May, this will include roads, paths and utilities,” a Center Parcs spokesperson explained following the first community forum meeting in Cooney's Hotel in Ballymahon attended by community representatives and businesses who were given an update on the project by Center Parcs management.
 “The buildings will not begin until later in the year, possibly November,” the UK holiday firm spokesperson added. The massive €230 million plus tourism project, the largest in the State's history, will comprise of 470 holiday lodges, 30 apartments, a spa, multiple restaurants, cafes, shops, sporting facilities and and a huge indoor swimming pool complex.
Some 750 construction jobs are expected to be created during the building phase, with another 1,000 posts when the holiday village is up and running in 2019.
The community forum will take place quarterly and a newsletter will be published to ensure the community of Ballymahon and surrounding areas in Longford to ensure resident are kept fully up to date on the progress of the landmark tourism development.
Center Parcs estimates that, when operational, the new forest holiday village, their first outside the UK, will add approximately €32 million to Ireland's GDP per annum.