Eden Project North
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The Eden Project has been awarded £50m in the second round of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund to build the new Eden Project Morecambe in Lancashire.

The bid was submitted by Lancaster City Council, one of the Eden Project’s key partners on the Morecambe attraction, and was chosen as a recipient of the largest investment possible under the fund, earmarked for large-scale cultural regeneration projects.

The £50m investment is half of the £100m needed to build the coastal-themed project. The funding allows the project to move into its next phase and begin the process of finalising the remaining £50m from private and philanthropic sources identified as part of the bidding process.

Annual visitor numbers are projected to be 740,000 and additional revenue brought into local businesses due to Eden Project Morecambe is set to exceed the £50m Government investment within months of the project opening. Now that the Levelling Up Fund process has concluded, preparation for construction is due to start this year and the aim is for Eden Project Morecambe to be open to visitors by 2026.

Source: https://news.lancashire.gov.uk/news/eden-project-morecambe-awarded-gbp-50m-from-governments-levelling-up-fund

More delays to funding push back progress again...

The indoor and outdoor attraction, forecast to cost a total £100 million in plans submitted earlier this year, is expected to draw up to 740,000 visitors annually, if all goes well and Eden North is actually built.
But the government's confirmation about Levelling-Up cash is yet to come. And Westminster recently pushed-back a decision, saying it has received many high-quality Levelling-Up bids from across the UK. There is plenty of competition, it seems.

Source: https://www.lancs.live/whats-on/whats-on-news/eden-project-north-50m-funding-25828100

The £100million Eden North project is expected to get the go ahead this week after five years of dithering. The £50million of levelling up funding to be unveiled this week will allow the project to move to its next phase. The cash will have to be matched by £50million from private investors and donations.

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/eden-north-expected-go-ahead-28758240

The bid for an additional £50 million funding from the second round of the Levelling Up Fund has been submitted to the government this week after Lancaster City Council unanimously granted planning permission to build the £125 million Eden Project North – which is set to be a major attraction for Lancashire, and is part of a wider project aiming to “re-imagine Morecambe as a seaside resort for the 21st Century” – back in January, in what was said to be one of the most important planning meetings in over a decade.

Developers and the Council say the £50 million investment would be half the estimated cost of the ambitious project, and the projected 740,000 annual visitors to the site would bring in cash that would exceed the funding.

Source: https://themanc.com/news/another-50m-funding-bid-submitted-to-build-eden-project-north-on-lancashire-coast/

Views from around the site as part of the planning application.

Source: https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/gallery/eden-project-north-pictures-how-21069320

There has been a bit of a delay in getting the funding bid in for Eden Project North.

A vital bid for £50m to help bring the Eden Project North to Morecambe is all set to go in - but the government's website isn't ready to accept it. The Eden bid was due to go in to the Department for Levelling Up on July 6 but the 'online portal' for submitting applications has not yet been opened.

A government spokesperson said: “We’re working to open the online portal for the second round of Levelling Up Fund bids as soon as possible. “Once it’s open it will be live for two weeks to give applicants time to put their bids in.”

Source: https://www.beyondradio.co.uk/news/featured-stories/waiting-game-for-50m-eden-project-north-bid-amid-government-website-delay/

Some more of the concept art that was released as part of the consultation process.





















Source: https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/gallery/eden-project-north-pictures-how-21069320

The building of the Eden Project could support the re-opening of the Lido in the area which has been part of a city-wide restoration attempt.

After a recent visit to the derelict site, organised by Save Grange Lido, Sir Tim Smit KBE said: “Grange Lido is a genuine treasure and we all loved it. Far from being the ruins of something whose purpose is no longer relevant, whose fate on restoration would be to become a museum piece, here is the embodiment of an idea whose time is coming again.”

The visit saw officials from the Eden Project North explore the derelict swimming pool in Grange and discuss plans for its redevelopment. The Eden team have previously said they are keen to work with local hospitality and entertainment leaders to ensure visitors to the forthcoming Morecambe attraction have the opportunity to enjoy a full experience of all that the area has to offer.

Source: https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/lifestyle/outdoors/grange-lido-boost-for-morecambes-eden-project-north-3739343

Bosses behind the £125m proposed Eden Project North have said they are 'confident but not complacent' - ahead of submitting a bid for £50m in government funding after locals expressed fears plan had 'lost inertia'.

In the latest Eden Project North community conversation, held remotely today (June 17), one Morecambe resident voiced his concerns that people were beginning to 'lose confidence' in the ambitious attraction set to be built in Morecambe. Barry Wright said he was frustrated that Morecambe had to 'jump through so many hurdles to prove to Westminster' that the town was serious about the project.

The latest update comes as Eden Project prepares to submit its final bid for £50m in government funding through the Levelling Up Fund. A shortlist is expected to be published in August and Eden Project North bosses believe that, if they are successful in their bid, work could start on the seafront site by this Christmas.

Source: https://www.lancs.live/whats-on/arts-culture-news/eden-project-north-bosses-confident-24254319

Eden Project North will have three main areas:
- Above the Bay: an environment filled with plants and art exhibits
- Below the Bay: an immersive series of theatrical experiences that bring to life lunar rhythms and tides
- The Natural Observatory: the home of Eden Project North's research and education programmes

This new attraction should be able to hold up to 4,000 visitors a day.

Who will be awarded the work to build the project?

Eden has a strong local sourcing philosophy, as demonstrated in Cornwall, and where possible we will aim to employ local companies to do the work. In total, we are looking at around 2,000 construction jobs and in our tender documents, we are aiming to guarantee a minimum of 80% local labour and suppliers. More information will be shared on this once funding is achieved

Source: https://www.edenproject.com/eden-project-north-community-conversation-march-2022

The developer behind the Morecambe scheme will bid for £50m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund and put £70m of private funding towards developing the project, having already secured £5m from partners. The bid is expected to be submitted by July, 4th. UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said the government officials will keep working with the Eden Project on the plans for the £125m scheme, which was granted planning permission in January.

Sources: https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/funding-strategy-for-125m-eden-project-north-firmed-up/
https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/business/boris-johnson-backs-exciting-and-ambitious-eden-north-in-letter-to-morecambe-mp-3662169