The organisations behind the plans to construct the dome-shaped Morecambe Eden Project attraction say they have reached a "major milestone" with the confirmation of funding following the new Labour government's autumn budget. The Eden ideas and funding proposals were developed under the previous Conservative government and were partly linked to levelling-up cash.
A total of £50 million had been allocated from the º£½ÇÊÓƵ Levelling-Up Fund, with an additional £50 million to be raised by the Eden Project from private supporters, sponsors and investors. However, when the new Labour government won this summer's general election, there was some uncertainty about levelling-up schemes and other regional projects, such as town deals, which were reviewed, reports .
Now, the Eden Project, Lancaster's city council, Lancaster University and Lancashire County Council have issued a joint update stating they have received the confirmation they needed from the new government. They said: "We are delighted that the government has confirmed the original £50 million commitment to Eden Project Morecambe. While there is still a process to go through to confirm the final details of this, this is a major milestone in this dynamic project, a very significant step forward in delivering this project which will do so much for Morecambe, Lancashire, and the wider region."
"All of the partners are working hard to bring this transformational project together. It's thanks to everyone's hard work, vision and determination that we're in this position."
"We are hopeful for final confirmation of the government investment shortly and aim to provide further updates on the full funding package and delivery plans for the site."
In October, prior to the Budget announcement, the Government released £2.5 million of funds, bringing the total available so far to £5 million designated for the ongoing work at the development site. Eden Project officials have indicated that this allocation will support detailed design tasks over the coming 12 months.
The creative consortium for Eden includes architects, mechanical engineers, landscape designers, and theatrical designers, all exploring construction plans and exploring planned activities for the new venue. Activities could include hosting exhibitions, spearheading research initiatives, and music concerts, while the venue could accommodate events from 50 to 6,000 people.
In-depth ground examinations on the Morecambe seafront location are set to potentially kick off later this year or early in 2025, laying the groundwork for the subsequent construction phase. The ambition is for the new Eden Project attraction to open its doors to visitors sometime between 2027 and 2028.
