Lancaster relaunches Frontierland opportunity on Eden Project success

Following approval of £50m of government funding for the seafront eco-destination, the city council is seeking expressions of interest for a leisure-led development on the 7.4-acre seafront site. 

An earlier exercise aimed at gauging developer appetite for the site “received good interest”, according to the city council. 

However, the majority of the proposals put forward for the former Frontierland site were housing-led, with an ancillary hotel or leisure component. 

Now, Lancaster City Council is relaunching the development opportunity, stating that it wants to see more emphasis on leisure to complement the proposed Eden Project Morecambe, to be built 250 metres away.

“The site is a great location for a new purpose-built hotel,” according to tender documents for the opportunity. 

The documents also state that changes to the holiday market “offer potential for apart-hotels, serviced apartments and more family-orientated holiday accommodation, particularly for things that could broaden Morecambe’s offer and appeal”. 

The deadline for submitting an expression of interest is midday on Friday 14 April 2023. The opportunity can be viewed on Bidstats.

Lancaster City Council acquired the site of the former theme park from Morrisons in 2021. 

Located close to the Midland Hotel and the proposed £125m Eden Project North, the 7.4-acre Frontierland site has been vacant since the theme park closed in 1999. 

Several redevelopment attempts have come and gone in the intervening 23 years. 

Most recently, developer Opus North won approval for a £17m mixed-use scheme known as Bay Shopping Park in 2014.   

The proposals included 120,000 sq ft of retail space, 15,000 sq ft of restaurants, pubs and cafes, a 62-bedroom hotel and 336 car parking spaces.    

However, the project never materialised and planning consent has now expired.