Eden Project cuts Morecambe plans in half
Revised designs in a fresh application submitted to Lancaster City Council show the attraction has shrunk from 185,000 sq ft to 91,500 sq ft.
The submission of updated plans means that the project’s opening is now scheduled for late 2028.
When the £100m scheme, previously touted as £125m, was originally granted consent in 2022, the plan was to build four domes around a central atrium.
However, details now reveal that only two domes would be built, while the surrounding public realm would be expanded further across the 11-acre bayfront site.
Visitor numbers have also been reassessed, with the project team now expecting to accommodate an estimated a maximum 585,000 visitors a year.
Previous estimates suggested the project could bring a maximum 1m visitors to Morecambe each year.
The change is to create a “more refined visitor journey” which would ensure the experience is “awe-inspiring and memorable”, according to a planning statement from WSP.
A spokesperson for Eden Project Morecambe told Place North West: “This consolidated design unifies the space to provide the amazing experiences inside and maximise the wow factor and impact on the visitor experience.
“The developed design strengthens its functionality as a world-class cultural venue and creates the perfect growing environment to allow exhibits to evolve.”
LK Group has already begun site investigation works on the bayside plot. Credit; via planning documents
A fresh look
The latest proposal centres around architect Grimshaw’s concept of a ‘colony of shells’ connected by a central atrium room.
Two ‘shells’, the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon, would be connected by the 7,750 sq ft Metronome building – the arrival point for guests.
The 18,300 sq ft Realm of the Moon, covered by darkened panelling, will feature the Tidal Theatre experience – a simulated cycle of day and night expected to emulate the rising and falling tides of Morecambe Bay.
A hyper-real forest, with live plants fused with artistic installations, kinetic sculptures, and immersive experiences, would be found within the larger 41,700 sq ft Realm of the Sun.
Despite a reduction of domes from four to two, the external areas surrounding the scheme will be enhanced.
The revised footprint can be seen in purple, with the dotted red line outlining the approved application. Credit: via planning documents
The two garden areas, The Rhythm Garden and All Seasons Garden, that bookend the east and west of the site, will be enlarged.
Rhythm Gardens, the larger of the two, would be an open-air space capable of hosting events and performances.
The All Seasons Garden would also be open-air but would comprise built-in sheltered areas and other experience elements related to the wider scheme.
Back-of-house and retail spaces make up the remaining 23,700 sq ft, adding up to the project’s total floorspace of 91,500 sq ft.
Changes to improve sustainability credentials, including employing green roofing and swapping external building materials, are also proposed.
The Eden Project has also announced the first feature to be built at the site – ‘The Eden Project Bring Me Sunshine’ garden is expected to open in spring 2027, ahead of Eden Project Morecambe’s full opening.
Outdoor classrooms and learning opportunities for young people would be provided at the garden.
The garden will be unveiled to the public at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2026.
The larger dome would host the Realm of the Sun. Credit: via planning documents
Eden Project Morecambe was conceived as a result of a collaboration between Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council, and Lancaster University.
In March this year, John Pye was appointed as project director to work with Ridge and Partners, WSP, and architect Grimshaw to bring forward the tourist attraction.
In September, LK Group began initial ground investigation works on the site, despite a construction partner for the project still not being appointed. The project team has said discussions with contractors are underway to remain on track to begin construction in 2026.
TEP has been appointed to lead on landscape design.
The original approved application can be viewed using the planning reference number 21/01113/FUL. For the latest proposals, use 25/01118/VCN on Lancaster City Council’s planning portal.
White Elephant and not where the public purse should be used. Fix local transport and provide housing
By Vanity
Given the Morecambe plan is now clearly doomed to fail, it would be a good time for Rotheram to get his finger out and try to poach it for Southport, which is rather closer to large populations and a thriving visitor economy. And has the Pontins site if it can be freed from Britainia.
Surely Steve has to be successful at something at some point?
By Duke Folly
Shock.
By Anonymous
Southport (or even the Wirral) would be ideal.. but Southport has good transport and the tourism flow back and forth into Liverpool would be ideal .. now.. let’s sort out the train link to what should be an international and one amazing venue like LV sphere and Liverpool is jumping (and the Liverpool film studios etc will follow)
Bruttania is the thorn
By Anonymous
We visited the Eden Project in Cornwall last year.
It seemed a bit faded in areas and they were trying to inject new ideas.
Seems like the concept is a bit outdated now.
Sorry for Morecambe if it does not deliver the promise it first offered.
By Just saying?
Rogue location anyway. Sack it off and move it to Manchester where it’s more easily accessible to a greater population. No point piling good money into towns that are likely going to vote Reform at the next election and throw it all away anyway. Let them fail and put the money where it’s going to make most of a difference – progressive cities.
By Anonymous
Value engineering at its worst, to save 20% on the construction cost they have reduced its usable volume by more than 50%.
By Watcherzero
Liverpool doesn’t deserve it, Morecambe does
By Get away from us
@Anonymous 1.05. We bagged it first, Manchester has too much already.
By Sandgrounder
A progressive city is one that wouldn’t vote Labour..which will be most of them soon. But yeah move it to Manchester.
By Anonymous
I thought Southport was the original location for this? Like everything in the town – never gets built. Bit like the replacement for the Floral Hall.
By Anonymous
Where ever this ends up being built i can’t agree with Vanity 12.18. Welfare of everyone is enhanced 10 fold by being able to walk around a green space. Many organisations (English Heritage, National Trust, Local Councils) give locals the opportunity to access something like this free or at drastically reduced rates, i hope this is the case for this tourist attraction, because lets face it, that’s what it will end up being.
By MikeB
Morecambe needs more than this to attract visitors. The shops and restaurants are dire. Nobody will go there just to see this. A seaside town so close to the Lake District should not look like it does. What happened to the management of that town? How has a place in such beautiful surroundings been left to rot in such a way?
By Elephant
It’ll end up being reduced to not going ahead!
By Dxster
Simple question to the Eden Project Manager requiring a “yes or no” answer. Do you now have the funds amounting to 50 Milion Pounds on the table required to finish the project ?
By Roger Marsh
The cost of materials has gone through the roof since originally tendered. Costing isn’t realistic.
By Morecambe resident.
It should be down South, it will be better utilised
By Anonymous
A more miserable set of comments and grudging headline I’ve not seen. Lads, Eden Cornwall wasn’t all built out immediately. There’s been some hideous inflation over the past few years which has damaged many projects (including Manchester leisure attractions). This is a good attraction on the edge of the Lake district and into an existing and potential visitor market . Give them some credit for getting a workable initiative to planning instead of throwing rocks. “let them fail”….is it any wonder northern towns have gone Rerform with that attitude?
By Dibble
Move it to Manchester, it won’t save Morecambe.
By Anonymous
I can not wait for this plan to happen.
It really is the investment Morecambe needs for a kick start.
Visited Morecambe today,it’s so shabby,run down&really needs investment.
Hopefully this brilliant plan will kick start something great.
Come on council&government,pull your finger out.
By Peteinthecity
Don’t want it thanks. Waste of money Bring back a swimming pool. free public toilets
By Anonymous
This is another blobbyland in the making.
By Anonymous
Anyone remember Blobbyland?
By Anonymous
Monumental waste of money for a town of 35,000 people. Money could be better spent elsewhere to generate economic growth. Who is going to manage/maintain it too? Local taxpayers?
By Anonymous
It will never attract that many visitors or generate as much revenue as predicted. Morecambe is run down and generally unappealing with a polluted beach. Also how long will it last? With sea level rise expected, how far above present sea level will its ground level be?
By Zobnerger
Morecambe people and visitors need a venue they can repeatedly go back to..bars swimming pools(like it used to be) wedding party venue as well as cultural education spaces and green gsrden spaces that can be used. The huge traveller community , tyson fury, could use it to strutt their stuff, bring their horses to parade, have festivals for everyyone.
This strikes me as a place that will be tooooexpensive for locals, proscribing what people need rather than what they actually want.
You can watch the tide by taking a long walk on the fantastic prom and get amazing views and sea air.
It needs a complete rethink
By Anonymous
Just wondering if any of these comentators have ever been to morecambe?
No wonder our country is so divided when comments like this just insult the north and northeners.im sickened to the core with it
By Anonymous
Just stop endlessly discussing it and build the thing!!
By Anonymous
I hope the current plan will not overwhelm Morecambe which already has much to offer visitors. There is no mention of the way increased parking demands will be provided for.
By Anonymous
I think anything that breathes life into Morecambe is welcome and sorely needed but my only concern would be where would the parking be if visitors flock to Morecambe as envisaged. Difficult to park when moderately busy as it is.
By Anonymous
Everyone saying that Morecambe doesn’t deserve it are just southerners tarring any small northern town as racist and backwards. It’s isn’t about just Morecambe – it’s about Heysham, hest bank, all the villages around. It’s disappointing that construction isn’t going as well as it could be. It’s a beautiful area in need of a tourism boost.
By Anonymous
It will never be built. Just push back building dates,now sizes and impact will be minimal. We deserve better than this. The North still doesn’t matter and London is a long way away.
By Elizabeth
A complete waste of space from day one. Cost rose from £50 million then went to £125, before government money given they stated they already had £75 from private investment yet that appears not to be the case.
By Susan
Anonymous commentator has good ideas – to celebrate the vibrant Traveller community that’s going from strength to strength in Lancashire and Cumbria. Restore dignity to a fascinating culture of European origin. Reflecting maritime history of the coastline. Creative links with Southport & Manchester can grow – Lancaster gets huge student numbers which drain local resources away from our NHS and other facilities.
By Faith Kenrick
If the size of the project has been halved then the cost and construction period should also be considerably reduced!
By Russell Mills
We couldn’t make the last face to face meeting run by Eden and the council and watched the video instead. Having attended all previous meetings the statements and body language at this meeting were all wrong and my 100% opinion Eden Morecambe would happen evaporated. This news just reinforces this feeling, I feel so sorry for Morecambe as this could have been a spring board to revitalise a once bustling seaside town.
By Anonymous
The problem with the north is not the south, it’s the infighting within the north, even if we were made independent, we would never be successful as a state.
By Anonymous
This project will be wonderful for all of us ! I’m a Morecambe born and I love our town ! So good to watch it come alive again! Thanks to everyone involved! It will surely be a masterpiece! What a glorious backdrop we have!
By Susan Faulkner Wiley
The good news is that at the current shrinkage rate it will have vanished altogether in another three years!
By Russell Mills
Never happen .. in my opinion
By Anonymous
Another delay. It all sounds very nice etc. However a lot of people including myself are beginning to doubt if this project will ever become a reality.
By Anonymous
Morecambe is a lovely town, and like all the towns nationwide it has suffered but it has a lot of potential. It is a gateway to the Lakes, has a lovely promenade. A nice little train station to Lancaster and onwards. Give the Eden Project a chance not just to boost tourism but to benefit the people of Morecambe as well.
By Sharon
Party of me thinks what Morecambe really needs is something that will attract the meet ups the steam punks, the vintage car rallies. Great Gatsby events and perhaps even ballroom… It needs a grand sheltered space they can spend their money.. eden could facilitate that.. but I suspect they wont
By Anonymous
Sorry to say but the way this is going, the time taken it will finish up nothing like first planned
By David. Pittam
This is disappointing to say the least where is the area dedicated to Morecambe Bay’s unique natural diversity and habitats? This is not the vision Morecambe residents where promised. Nobody expected it up be exactly what the artists impression of the site would be.
By Florence Rasmussen
Thought myself it would be an ideal opportunity to bring some much needed prosperity to the town but in recent months have been very dificult for this kind of attraction it would be briliant to see it built but if the prices of admition are too high then it may not make the money to keep it going
By Peter Kennard
Build it they will come. The same naysayers were questioning the Bridgewater RHS gardens project, and that gets many times more visitors per year than they anticipated. Good things can be built and appreciated up North
By Anonymous
By the time it opens it will probably be two green houses and a garden shed.
By Michael Owen
Apparently they have started building it in Morecambe. My parents live in Morecambe. Its a dreadful place, needs money spending on hotels, town centre, shops etc i stay in a bed and breakfast when i visit them but i dont go out at night. Looks like its been reduced by half and theres nothing else going on in Morecambe, needs a full regeneration, transport isnt the best if you dont have a car
By Anonymous
Please just get on with something
By M c
It would be nice if someone could come and give a short talk to a group of blind and partially sighted people in Morecambe who are very interested. They may have ideas that would make it more user friendly.
By Julie Stone
The council ruin d Morecambe years ago by getting rid of the Pleasure Beach. When I was a kid, 40 years ago, Morecambe was a happy, vibrant town with lots of attractions, shops and things to do.
By Dr William Cook
I’ll believe it when it’s built and open??
By Morecambe lifelong resident for the last 61 yrs
It’s all a fantasy, more words and less reality
By Anonymous
Delighted to see this out in place for Morcambe. With such a marvellous bay the area will bring a huge additional footfall to a lovely spot. Local businesses will benefit.
By Fiona Ford
Wow. What a shambles . Grew up in a vibrant Morecambe in the 1980’s,, loads of tourism ,, booming trade ,, happy Feelgood factor,, awesome busy pleasure Beach,, Blame is on Council who’ve let Morecambe go to the Dogs 100% . Anything to improve Morecambe,, I’m well in .. GOOD LUCK MORECAMBE AND ITS PEOPLES
By Azzy wazzy
Good luck on the venture, it will enspire me to visit a few times a year, always wanted to go to the cornwall Eden but its to far, Morecambe is a natural beauty and hope this brings in the visitors it deserves , the promonades are already beautiful
By Anonymous