Center Parcs to reopen villages in Elveden and Woburn from July 13

Center Parcs in Elveden. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Center Parcs has revealed its villages at Elveden and Woburn will re-open from July 13.

Parks, including Elveden on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and Woburn between Milton Keynes and Bedford, have been shut since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, both villages will be able to start welcoming back guests from next month - although swimming pools and spas will remain closed.

There will a number of new measures in place, including reduced guest capacity, cashless payment and a new takeaway service offering contactless delivery to lodges.

Some activities will also be changed to allow social distancing, and there will be new check in and check out times to ensure there will be more time for the lodges to be thoroughly cleaned.

Center Parcs in Woburn. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Guests will be able to cancel their break up to six days prior to their arrival, and still receive a full refund, but the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and Aqua Sana Spa facilities at each village will stay closed for now.

"The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant effect on the whole country and we always said we would only reopen once we were 100% satisfied it was safe to do so. We’ve had our teams working around the clock to review everything we do, right down to the smallest detail, and we‘re now ready to open our doors again," Center Parcs’ CEO, Martin Dalby, said.

"We know that a lot of families were looking forward to Center Parcs breaks and we can’t wait to welcome you back to the forest. Those families who have visited us before will notice some changes to the way we’re doing things, but the essence of a Center Parcs break will remain the same, offering a fantastic short break experience with plenty of space within our 400 acres of natural woodland.

“We know how disappointing it will be for some families that the Subtropical Swimming Paradise isn’t open during their break. We have been planning the changes needed to maintain social distancing and we look forward to reopening these facilities as soon as we are able to do so. However, we know that so many families have been looking forward to their breaks and we are so pleased to be open for the summer.”