Jurassic Discovery Centre set to open in 2024

The attraction closed in 2021 due to financial challenges

A visitor attraction in Devon that showcases the coastline's geological importance is expected to reopen in 2024.

Seaton Jurassic was closed in 2021 by Devon Wildlife Trust after running into financial difficulties.

The £4m centre which was set up to celebrate the 95-mile (152km) Jurassic Coast will be renamed Jurassic Discovery Centre.

Councillors at East Devon District Council (EDDC) will be asked on Wednesday to ratify a decision by its cabinet to progress a way forward for the site.

'Job creation'

The authority recently agreed for its freehold to be handed to Seaton Tramway.

The new centre will accommodate a dinosaur-themed soft play area as well as "an experience that will give visitors a snapshot of life 100 million years ago" involving modern technology.

Devon Wildlife Trust managed the centre for its first five years, during which 250,000 people visited.

It said it hit challenges caused by its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, plus "significant investment" needed for renovations to exhibitions.

Since then, the original volunteers involved in the project, other stakeholders in the centre, Devon County Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund have come together to develop a way forward.

Following completion of the sale in the next few months, it is hoped that the new Jurassic Discovery will re-open ready for the 2024 visitor season.

Jenny Nunn, CEO of Seaton Tramway said the council approval would “give visitors and local people the attraction the area deserves, bringing in much needed revenue and job creation to the local economy".

Councillor Paul Arnott, leader of East Devon District Council, said: "We are delighted that the long and winding road to turn around this flagship centre for Seaton, the Axe Valley, and East Devon has brought us to where we are now."