The design of the lodges at Center Parcs’ other UK villages has been tweaked for Woburn Forest
Why does the planning process take years and years and millions of pounds? For big, economically important projects like ours, there must be a better way
bars, more than 100 leisure activities, an Aqua Sana spa and of course the Subtropical Swimming Dome, which is at the heart of all Center Parcs resorts. Although the offer is very similar to that of Center Parcs’ four other UK villages, the company has taken the opportunity to update the design and accommodation in Woburn Forest. “It’s 2014 so it’s more contempo-
rary in its styling; we’ve used new interior designs, the place is very spa- cious, the quality of materials is very high. The whole place has a real qual- ity feel to it,” says Dalby.
The Subtropical Swimming Dome has also been updated – it is the big- gest in the UK, and features three new water rides; Twister (an enclosed bodyslide fl ume), Typhoon (a two seater tube ride) and Tornado, a fam- ily ride raft that starts with a dark tunnel and a 45 degree drop before propelling riders into a huge funnel at speeds of up to 20mph. “It’s pretty frightening and great fun,”
says Dalby, of the Tornado ride. “It took me an hour to persuade my wife to go down it, but once she’d tried it I couldn’t get her off!”
The Aqua Sana spa has also been updated, with Woburn Forest embrac- ing a new spa concept developed by Schletterer Wellness & Spa Design and Sparc Studio. The three fl oor facil- ity is split into six smaller themed spas, featuring 22 treatment rooms and 25 experience rooms, as well as six spa suites. (For more information on the Aqua Sana facility, see p36.)
ISSUE 3 2014 © cybertrek 2014
STARTING OUT Dalby left school at 16 for a trainee- ship in the accounts department at Scottish and Newcastle. From there he worked his way up, rising through the ranks to the position of fi nancial con- troller. In 1995 he joined Center Parcs as fi nancial controller, and was instantly impressed with the welcoming atmos- phere of the company. “It doesn’t take long for the whole ethos and culture of Center Parcs to get into your blood,” he says. In 1997 he became fi nance direc- tor and in 2000, when the previous chief executive stepped down suddenly, the chairman asked Dalby if he wanted to take up the role. “It was an amazing thing – to be
asked to become CEO of such a fan- tastic brand was a real honour,” says Dalby. He was just 38 at the time, and had only ever worked in fi nancial roles before. Was he daunted? “No, no, not at all,” he says. You get the impression that not a lot phases Dalby, which is a good thing, as he’s had his fair share of challenges during his 14 years at the helm of Center Parcs. The company has gone through several changes of ownership since he took over – in 2001, Scottish and Newcastle, who’d owned it since 1989, sold out to Deutsche Bank Capital Partners. The operating side of the business was fl oated on London’s Alternative Investment Market, and the property part of it was sold off in a sale and leaseback deal. In 2005 the oper- ating company moved to the main listing on the London Stock Exchange,
before private equity fi rm Blackstone bought it a year later, in March 2006. Center Parcs had a challenging time as a public company. Despite having high occupancy and good prof- its, the company was hit with several problems during this time, including an outbreak of gastroenteritis at its Longleat village and soaring energy and rates prices. When Blackstone bought it, it paid 80p a share – 20p below the 100p fl oatation price. Then, of course, there was Woburn. Center Parcs fi rst found the site in Bedfordshire back in 2004, and announced that its fi fth UK village would open by 2008. However they reckoned without the planning pro- cess – it took fi ve years and £5m to get the project through planning, and permission was only approved when then communities secretary Hazel Blears ignored the advice of the plan- ning inspector and decided that the economic, ecological and employment benefi ts outweighed any perceived harm to Green Belt land. “It was very frustrating at times,”
says Dalby. “This is a massive pro- ject, with a massive impact, both on Bedfordshire and tourism in the UK. It injects more than £20m into the local economy, it creates 1,500 jobs, it’s great for the environment, it avoids people having to commute out of Bedfordshire to go and fi nd work. With that in mind, why does the planning process takes years and years and millions of pounds? For big projects like ours, there must be a better way.”
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