Cornwall’s famous Eden Project is asking the Government for £70million towards building a new attraction in the North West as part of a plan to expand around the world.
The Eden Project North seeks to “reimagine” the Lancashire seaside resort of Morecambe by building a “ticketed visitor attraction that is sustainable and transformative, with large indoor environments, housed within iconic pavilions”.
A 140-page business case has been submitted to Whitehall describing the plan as “shovel-ready” and primed to deliver significant economic, environmental and social benefits for the North West.
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The idea is to create an all-year destination, inside five shell-shaped domes built on the waterfront on the site of Bubbles, a former swimming pool, and appeal to people keen on art, science, adventure, play and performance as well as nature.
The overall cost of the project has been put at £125million, up from an initial estimate of £85million, and the Eden Project would look to supplement any central Government funding with public and private sector investment.
It is projected to attract about a million visitors a year once completed, with work expected to end in 2023.
Eden Project North is expected to create 400 jobs directly, while driving a visitor spend of more than £200million in the wider economy annually, supporting an additional 1,500 jobs, and make Morecambe a 21 st Century destination around the message: “Beauty Surrounds, Health Abounds and Nature Astounds”.
Eden Project North will share much with the hugely successful. It will be a ticketed visitor attraction that is “sustainable and transformative”, with large indoor environments, housed within pavilions.
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It will build on the Eden Project’s particular mix of entertainment and education, leaving visitors with lasting memories as well as driving positive behavioural change.
As in Cornwall, Eden Project North will combine “exhibits, performance, learning, play, immersive experiences, world-class horticulture, art, food, beverage and retail spaces, all integrated as essential parts of the overall experience; building on nearly 20 years of operational expertise”.
Eden Project North will use modern immersive experiences to appeal to visitors of all ages in an environment filled with plants and art exhibits known as Above the Bay, while theatrical experiences will bring the tides and lunar rhythms to life in an area called Below the Bay.
Meanwhile, the Natural Sanctuary will be an area focussed on the health-giving aspects of the seaside with bookable wellbeing treatments, and the Natural Observatory will form the home of Eden Project North's research and education programmes.
Eden Project North is being delivered by the team behind the first Eden Project in Cornwall and is one of the key projects in Eden’s plans to expand around the 海角视频 and the world.
The Eden team is pointing to a proven track record of delivering regeneration projects, with Eden in Cornwall transforming a former china clay pit, which was sterile, unstable and had no soil, into the world-class destination it is today.
Eden in Cornwall cost £141million to build and has welcomed more than 22million visitors and added more than £2billion to the regional economy since opening in 2001. In recent years, it has continued to attract around 1million visitors a year.
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Eden Project chief executive David Harland said: “This is a major milestone for Eden Project North, a moment when we have presented the Government with what we know is a compliant, comprehensive and compelling case for investment.
"The world has changed beyond measure this year and it is imperative as we come out of the pandemic that our collective focus is on a recovery that stimulates the economy, is environmentally forward looking and creates meaningful, green collar jobs. Our firm belief is that Eden Project North does all of these things and will be transformative for Morecambe and the surrounding region.”
The Eden team has been working closely with regional partners: the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Lancaster University, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council.
Professor Andy Schofield, Lancaster University Vice-Chancellor, said: “Eden Project North is vital to the region and timely, as we look to the horizon for green shoots of growth and recovery.”
Steve Fogg, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Eden North project will be a game-changer for the Lancashire economy. The project will undoubtedly deliver substantial economic benefits for our county not only in terms of the opportunities for local businesses to become part of the Eden supply chain, but also as a visitor attraction of national significance, providing a much-needed boost to our tourism and hospitality sector. “
Councillor Dr Erica Lewis, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “Eden Project North promises to be a transformative project that will deliver considerable social and economic benefits for Morecambe, the district and the region.”