Eden Project North needs government funding, boss says

A planning application has been submitted to Lancaster City Council

The boss of the Eden Project has said a northern version of the visitor attraction will not happen unless it receives a share of government funding.

Chief executive Dave Harland said time was running out for state support of the £125m project in Morecambe.

Backers of the scheme had hoped for an announcement in the Budget.

"We can't go on forever, team Lancashire has done its bit but we need the government to back the project as well," Mr Harland said.

A planning application was submitted last month to Lancaster City Council for the project on Morecambe Bay's seafront and a decision is due before the end of the year.

Mr Harland told BBC Radio Lancashire that Eden needed to hear a positive commitment from central government in the next year.

"We would have loved an announcement in the budget," he said.

"We need action not just words now."

• Plans for £125m Eden Project North submitted

• Budget 2021: Key points at-a-glance

• More glimpses of Eden Project North plans revealed

Mr Harland said if the project received planning permission they would be entering into "critical dialogue" with the government.

"Morecambe and the wider area needs this to happen," he added.

"In the end we have to nail down some element of central government funding."

If approved, Eden Project North is predicted to attract around one million visitors a year and directly employ more than 400 people.

It aims to showcase sustainable design, reimagining the British seaside resort for the 21st Century and is due to open in 2024, if plans are approved.

The project would be situated on the former site of the Bubbles leisure complex with "shell-like" domes surrounded by outdoor gardens.

Two restaurants are planned, both featuring indoor and outdoor seating and boasting views across Morecambe Bay.

The team behind the project has submitted a business case to the government for £70m of public investment.

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