Funding for Eden Project North raised in parliament

Eden Project North submitted a £50 million bid to Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund in August, which was signed off by Member of Parliament for Morecambe and Lunesdale David Morris. 

The bid is currently being assessed by officials in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. During Treasury Questions, Mr Morris was told that a decision on the funding would be announced by the end of the year. 

David Morris in the house (Image: Emma Morris)

READ MORE: Eden Project North submits a £50m bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund

He asked: "The Eden Project North is, as far as I am aware, the only project in the second phase of the levelling-up round that has planning permission and land allocated. I would like to know when the decisions will be made so that we can get this shovel-ready scheme going. Eden has £50 million to put on the table, and we are asking for £50 million as match funding, in effect."

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Felicity Buchan MP said: "Decisions on the second phase of the levelling-up round will be made by the end of the year."

Mr Morris then invited new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt up to Morecambe to see where the proposed site would be built. He said that he would 'continue to work tirelessly to ensure it is at the top of the Government agenda until funding is announced.' 

Eden Project North would cost £100 million, and would be able to get the site running by 2024 if funding is delivered. 

Similar to the existing Eden Project in Cornwall, it would be a ticketed visitor attraction and would also be a live music and performance venue. 

When readers reacted to the submission of the business case back in February 2022, most comments were positive. However, some readers called the project a 'white elephant' and raised concerns that it would not pay back the substantial public investment into the scheme.