Eden Project North: Government must fund Morecambe site, MPs say

The government must help fund a new eco-tourism attraction since it represents a "once in a generation" chance for Morecambe, 51 Tory MPs said.

Lancaster City Council on Monday approved plans for the £125m Eden Project North scheme in the resort.

In a letter calling for financial backing, the group of Conservative MPs said there could be "local, regional, national and international" benefits.

The government has been approached for comment.

In the letter to the prime minister, the chancellor and the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, the MPs said the original Eden Project had brought "over £2bn to the local economy in Cornwall" and as such, the new site would be "a game-changer" for Morecambe and its surrounding area.

They added that government funding was "crucial" as it would "act as a catalyst" for future investment, alongside the £55m Eden Project International (EPI) has already put in.

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris, who organised the letter, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the site would be "the jewel in the crown for the North West".

He said it needed £75m from government and it "should be a major Levelling Up project for Morecambe, Lancaster and the North of England".

Passing plans for the project on Monday, Labour councillor Robert Redfern said the scheme was "probably what Morecambe has been looking for for years", while Green member Tim Dant said he was "a convert" to it.

"I grew up in a seaside town where there was a fun fair and scenic railway running along the seafront, but this Eden Project will be better than those," he said.

Mr Dant added that the design and innovation was "amazing and aims to address climate change issues", which was "something we seldom see".

EPI chief executive David Harland said it had "a bold vision for Morecambe" and the scheme could "be a huge symbol that good things can happen".

Lancaster City Council's leader Caroline Jackson said it represented "a new beginning" for the town.

The Green councillor said it would bring "important economic benefits" and "change this area and the hinterland".

"The government will look at this and hopefully think: 'what better project is there to demonstrate the Levelling Up agenda?'," she added.

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