Revised plans for Morecambe’s long-awaited £100m Eden Project go before councillors in the town with construction of two rather than four shell-shaped domes likely to be supported.
The updated plans from Eden Project Morecambe Ltd go before Lancaster City Council planners tomorrow, Monday February 17, and follow two years of discussions.
A Bring Me Sunshine community space inspired by the landscapes and culture of Morecambe Bay and set over 1.5 acres will form the first phase of development and will be exhibited at Royal Horticultural Society Flower Shows before coming to the coast.
The area concerned is close to the Midland Hotel and town’s war memorial.
A report to councillors says changes proposed follow a ‘strategic recalibration of the project to ensure it remains ambitious, deliverable and aligned with the current economic landscape.’
The original planning permission included four shell pavilions which have now been rationalised to form two domes, called the Realm of the Sun and Realm of the Moon.
Both will be linked by what is described as a metronome entrance. The changes mean more external landscaping within and outside of the ticketed, paid for area, will be created.
The applicants still intend to host up to eight large concerts each summer which could each attract around 6,000 people, significantly fewer than the 55,000 who visited the former Morecambe Vintage Festival.
The plan says that Eden Project North will be a ticketed visitor attraction with The Realm of the Sun forming the largest element, constructed in a column free ‘gridshell’.
The application says the ‘bespoke design creates an efficient long span and transparent enclosure to maximise daylight to the horticultural experiences housed within’.
Meanwhile The Realm of the Moon will create a ‘black-box’ experience under an integrated solar panel roof, containing a tidal theatre and ancillary retail and restaurant areas.
Designers have been inspired by local mussel shells, offering contrast in shape, colour and scale to the Realm of the Sun, whilst continuing the ‘colony of shells’ theme of the original permission.
The development will include exhibits, performance space, learning, play and immersive experience.
The attraction is projected to attract a maximum of 3,326 visitors per day at 48 days of peak periods during school and bank holidays.
It is projected that for two thirds of the year, the maximum number of visits will be around 1,000 per day.
In terms of jobs created, the revised plans predict 150 full time equivalent roles, significantly fewer according to the planning document than the 389 originally anticipated.
Morecambe Business Improvement District is among supporters of the revised scheme.
The applicant began discussions with Lancaster City Council in 2019.
Full opening is expected in 2028.
