PLANNING permission has been granted for a second UK Eden Project – this time in the North West of England but still delivered by the team which built the first Eden here in Cornwall.

Permission to build Eden Project North in Morecambe - familiar to TV viewers as the location for ITV detective drama The Bay - was granted at a meeting of the Lancaster City Council planning committee yesterday (Monday, January 31).

Eden Project North is being delivered by the team behind the first Eden Project at St Blazey in Cornwall, alongside local partners Lancaster University, Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, and is one of the key projects in Eden’s plans to expand around the UK and the world.

The latest milestone for the Morecambe project comes following years of development and extensive community consultation, leading to the submission of the planning application in September 2021.

With planning permission granted, securing funding for Eden Project North is now the major focus of the Eden team. Eden has submitted a business case to the UK Government, asking for a £70m public investment in the £125m project. The business case shows that this investment would be paid back many times over in economic benefit for the region.

Eden Project North would directly employ more than 400 people, with an additional 1,500 jobs supported in the region, and inject £200m per year into the North West economy. Subject to funding being secured, it is due to open in 2024.

David Harland, Chief Executive of Eden Project International, said: “Planning permission is a huge milestone on our journey towards making Eden Project North an exemplar project for Morecambe, Lancashire and the North of England.

“The project is now definitively shovel-ready and a compelling financial case has been made to Government. We are primed and ready to create this beacon to a green and sustainable future, be part of Levelling Up and drive economic and social enhancements across the region.

“While we are incredibly proud of what we and our partners have achieved so far, we now need UK Government support to quickly bring this to fruition and maintain momentum.

“We’re hugely grateful to the Lancaster City Council planners for granting this landmark project planning permission. Massive thanks must also go to our partners and the community in the region for supporting us throughout the consultation process. We continue to be inspired by the wellspring of positivity we get from the people of Morecambe.”

Eden Project North is setting out to showcase sustainable design, as well as reimagining the British seaside resort for the 21st century.

Its “shell like” domes will be constructed in timber and covered in a flexible transparent membrane with integrated solar cells. These four shells – known as the Rhythm Machine, the Bay Glade, the Bay Hall and the Natural Observatory – will be set in a “dunescape” of landscaped roofing planted with coastal vegetation.

The layout of the domes has evolved since the early stages of design and they are now intended to surround the central Four Seasons Garden, to make better use of the available space and light while providing more sheltered public space.

Surrounding the buildings will be a collection of beautiful outdoor gardens, designed to reflect the flora, geology and rhythms of their unique coastal environment. These include the Rhythm Garden, which reimagines the existing Bay Arena and the Tide Garden, whose beds spiral down towards a tidal pool at the garden’s centre.

Public access to the promenade running around the edge of the Eden site will not be affected and access to some outdoor gardens will also be possible without buying an admission ticket. RNLI access will also be unaffected.

Eden Project North will be situated on the former site of the Bubbles leisure complex with the Grade II* listed Winter Gardens and Midland Hotel its near neighbours. The project will be designed in a way which is sensitive and complementary to these important buildings and sightlines across the bay.

The project will have two restaurants, one on either side of the site, with both featuring indoor and outdoor seating and boasting spectacular views across Morecambe Bay.

The idea is that visitor flow will be managed with timed ticketing slots and combined travel and admission tickets, and that incentives will be offered for those who arrive by walking, cycling or public transport.