A £12 MILLION path connecting two towns in the Borders to Scotland's first Center Parcs has reached a significant milestone.
Plans to join Hawick and Selkirk with a path have taken a significant step forward after securing funding support.
The proposal, which will run near the A7, aims to cut car journeys and increase active travel, as it is predicted that trips between the two towns will more than double when the holiday village opens in 2029.
The path is one of several projects in the Scottish Borders which have been awarded nearly £3.5m of funding from Transport Scotland.
Jenny Linehan, executive member for transport on Scottish Borders Council, hailed the funding as a “significant” step in the project, adding that it will help make active travel a “realistic and attractive choice for more people”.
The Scottish Borders Council has estimated that the path could see more than 200 daily cycling trips to and from Center Parcs made by staff and visitors, with the project timeline seeing the section from Hawick to the holiday village built around the time the park opens.
The second section to Selkirk would be constructed shortly after.
Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn added: “Projects like these help connect communities, support healthier lifestyles, strengthen local economies and encourage more sustainable travel choices for residents and visitors alike.”
The Center Parcs resort would be Scotland’s first and will create 1200 permanent jobs, the First Minister said earlier this year, with young people expected to make up almost a third of those taken on.
With the Scottish Government having invested £30 million in the development, near Hawick in the Scottish Borders, John Swinney said it shows ministers are “serious about reducing regional inequality and creating genuine opportunity for young people”.
The development is tipped to increase tourism in the area by 38%, generating £87m a year for the Scottish economy.
