Center Parcs has announced plans to develop a sixth Center Parcs village in the UK.

The firm has secured an option agreement to acquire 553 acres of woodland off Balcombe Road in Worth, West Sussex.

The development is expected to cost between £350m and £400m and will create around 1,500 permanent local jobs once operational, as well as around 1,000 jobs during construction. The development would add an additional £40m to the local economy each year.

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Center Parcs will now begin working on rigorous site surveys, detailed designs and pre-planning works to make sure the woodland meets our specific requirements for a Center Parcs village, as well as beginning a programme of community engagement with the local area.

A planning application is expected to be submitted in 2022.

CEO Martin Dalby said: "It's really exciting to have identified a potential site for another Center Parcs village in the UK. 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. The proposal we will be submitting will create a significant number of jobs and bring major benefits to the local and national economy."