Center Parcs says it has identified a 550 acre woodland area in southern England where it wants to build its sixth English holiday park.
The business says it wants to spend £350-£400 million creating a new holiday destination just south of Gatwick Airport, near Crawley.
The Notts-based business said it hopes to create 1,500 new jobs at the site, which it says fits its requirements due to its location to the south of London and its good transport links.
It estimates that each of its holiday parks pumps about £40 million into the local economy each year.
It has secured an option to acquire privately owned woodland at Oldhouse Warren off Balcombe Road, in Worth, West Sussex, with space for up to 900 lodges.
Center Parcs chief executive Martin Dalby said: “It is really exciting to have identified a potential site for another Center Parcs village in the Ƶ.
“The proposal we will be submitting will create a significant number of jobs and bring major benefits to the local and national economy.
“Today’s announcement marks the first step of a long journey and there is still a huge amount of work to be done before we can submit a planning application.
“As a business, we take our responsibility to the local community extremely seriously and look forward to sharing our plans as they progress.”
He said the business will now undertake site surveys and pre-planning work to ensure the woodland meets its requirements.
The company will also share its plans with the local community before submitting a planning application to the local council.
Center Parcs Ƶ – which is a separate business to Center Parcs Europe – employs around 9,000 people.
It has sites in Cumbria, in Notts, Wiltshire, Suffolk and Bedfordshire, with another in Ireland, around 70 miles west of Dublin.
Like its other holiday villages the Oldhouse Warren site will include lodges, indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, one of its Subtropical Swimming Paradises, restaurants and shops and an Aqua Sana Spa.
Center Parcs says on top of the 1,500-or-so permanent jobs, a further 1,000 jobs could be created during construction.
A spokesman for the business said: “Center Parcs’ villages are sympathetically designed to blend into the existing landscape, with no visual impact on the surrounding area, and the company is committed to both protecting and enhancing the forests in which their holiday villages are located.
“Sustainability is at the heart of the Center Parcs ethos and the new village will be constructed and operated in the most sustainable way possible.”
Since 2015 the holiday business has been owned by Brookfield Property Partners, one of the world’s biggest commercial real estate companies
Brad Hyler, managing partner and head of European real estate at Brookfield Asset Management, said: “Center Parcs is the destination of choice for short breaks in the Ƶ and as owners we are excited to support its expansion with plans for the sixth Ƶ holiday village.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Center Parcs team on delivering this exciting development and the economic benefits it will bring to the local area.”
The West Sussex site is owned by a private owner, represented by property advisers Colliers and RH & RW Clutton.
Richard Moss, head of Ƶ Parks Agency at Colliers, said: “There has been a surge in demand for holidays featuring high-quality accommodation in idyllic settings, and this is very much epitomised by Center Parcs villages with their sustainable ethos and focus upon environmentally sympathetic design. It has been a pleasure to be involved with the proposed scheme.”
