Work will start on the new attraction next month (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
A troubled UK seaside town is set for a major boost with work on a new Eden Project to begin in August. The project, which is worth £100 million, hopes to transform the town’s seafront into a “world-class destination”.
Morecambe, in Lancashire, has struggled with social and economic challenges over recent years. Parts of the town face high levels of deprivation, while young residents are often forced to move away due to a shortage of local jobs. However, the Eden Project Morecambe aims to boost the local economy and help revive the town.
It has been confirmed that work on the project will begin this month, with the Bring Me Sunshine Garden set to open to the public next spring. Work will then begin on the interiors and experience design in spring 2028 before the attraction fully opens in winter 2028.
Eden Project Morecambe is being delivered alongside Lancaster City Council, Lancaster University and Lancashire County Council. It was awarded £50 million from the government, which has allowed the project to move into its next phase.
Similar to the Eden Project in Cornwall, the attraction in Morecambe will feature two shell-shaped domes named the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon. The former is a “bright and lush” landscape, while the latter is a “darker” and “more dramatic environment”.
The Eden Project website states: “The Realm of the Sun is a bright, lush landscape of the near future — a place where humanity has rediscovered how to repair and re-engage with the broken rhythms of the natural world.”
The attraction will be set on the town’s seafront (Image: DCM)
It adds: “The Realm of the Moon is an immersive, dynamic space — a darker, more dramatic environment featuring a hyper-real rockpool, where accelerated cycles of tides, days, and seasons create a constantly shifting world of storytelling, spectacle, and discovery.”
The website also says: “Eden Project Morecambe will house extraordinary living landscapes and immersive worlds inhabited by world-class art, performance, storytelling, interactive installations and play.
“With Morecambe Bay’s tidal range being one of the largest in the world, the natural rhythms of nature underpin all aspects of our exciting new adventure.”
The Bring Me Sunshine Garden appeared at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show before being relocated to Morecambe. It will open next spring and form part of a 1.6-acre community garden and living classroom.
Eden Project Morecambe will feature two shell-shaped domes (Image: Lancaster City Council)
What struggles does Morecambe face?
Morecambe has struggled in recent times (Image: Getty)
Parts of the town are continuing to struggle, including Morecambe Town, West End, and Westgate, where over 63% of households face deprivation. Meanwhile, child poverty rates reach up to 61% to 70% in these areas.
Data also shows that a number of neighbourhoods in Morecambe sit within the top 10% most deprived areas in the UK. Men in the town centre have a healthy life expectancy of 56, four years below the national average.
A large number of residents are impacted by poor employment opportunities and low wages. A high number of residents also report long-term illnesses, poor housing conditions and high rates of mental health struggles.
The Eden Project Morecambe is expected to give 274 jobs to the local economy as well as 1,083 additional roles to the wider region. It is also hoped it will attract hundreds of thousands of annual visitors in a boost to the local economy.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
