Eden Project Morecambe funding 'could have snowball effect'

The town's MP David Morris joined Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove in a famous Morecambe pose to celebrate the news

Building Eden Project Morecambe will "bring on better business" in the town, locals have said after the project received £50m in Levelling Up funding.

Work will begin on the planned eco-tourism attraction after it was named as one of more than 100 projects to win a share of the government fund.

Scheduled to open in 2024, it will be a sister site to Cornwall's Eden Project.

Business owners said it was great news for the town as the "extra footfall will help for the winter".

The site's shell-shaped pavilions will transform the town's seafront and showcase views of the Lake District across the bay.

The latest government grant will cover half of the £100m needed to build the much-anticipated coastal attraction with the rest being provided by local councils and private investment.

Solly Reader, owner of the Soul Bowl entertainment venue, said the news was "all positive".

The 45-year-old said he hoped it would have a "snowball effect".

"Hopefully, the town will get tidied up, investment will come in and people will start tidying up properties."

He said it was another step on the road of the town's rising profile.

"[ITV's] The Bay drama has helped put the place on the map and Tyson Fury is a good ambassador for the town, so this is the cherry on the cake," he said.

Kerri Smith hopes for more business all year round instead of just during the busy summer

Kerri Smith, who works at Rita's Cafe opposite the proposed site, said she was expecting a welcome boost to business once construction starts.

"It's going to be brilliant [as] someone's got to feed all the workers," she said.

"Hopefully from the moment they break ground, it'll bring on better business [and] tourism all year rather than just the summer months."

She said she expected the cafe to be able to employ more staff and "have a lot more tables out and more customers coming in".

Eyvonne Wright hopes the resort will draw more visitors over the winter

Magda Szczerba, who owns The Bay Double Trouble restaurant, said she "couldn't wait" for the site to start operations.

"The town is lovely, the views are incredible and it's just what it needs - more people, more tourists," she said.

"It could be a huge success - we need more people because it's just a seasonal town."

Sixty-year-old Eyvonne Wright, who has lived in the Lancashire resort for five years, said the project was "a great thing for Morecambe, great for the winter and there will be more tourists who will get to enjoy that beautiful bay".

Funding was confirmed to replace the Old Tram Bridge which spans the River Ribble in Preston

The project is one of six in Lancashire to be allocated money in the second round of funding from the £4.8bn Levelling Up pot.

Elsewhere in the county, Blackpool was awarded £40m to support a new "Multiversity", a carbon neutral university campus, and Hyndburn received £20m towards the scheme to give Accrington's Town Square a new lease of life and bring a number of dilapidated buildings back into use.

Preston will receive £20m to improve the city's parks and replace the closed tram bridge which links Avenham Park and Penwortham, while Blackburn with Darwen was awarded £20m towards an upgrade of the borough's infrastructure and improvements to its walking and cycling routes.

Lancashire County Council will also receive £50m to improve public transport, cycling and walking routes in the east of the county.

Bids by councils in Chorley, Fylde, South Ribble, Rossendale and West Lancashire were all rejected.

The government has said a third round of funding would be available in the future.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]