Cumbria’s business community got the chance to meet with the team planning to create a new Eden Project in Morecambe and hear how it could help provide a massive boost to the region.
The £100m regeneration project will be situated on the Morecambe seafront and when the 120 business representatives gathered for an update on the plans they were keen to hear how Cumbrian firms could make the most of the opportunity.
Eden Project Morecambe’s projected economic benefits were set out at the latest LA23NET business network organised by Intro PR. The benefits were said to include an estimated £39.9m spend with local suppliers and subcontractors during construction.
Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, told the meeting: “In my view, we’re on the verge of starting the most exciting building project probably for the last 30 years. Twenty years from now, when you’re talking to your children, you will want to say I was there. Something special is coming. The talking is over.”
He described the Eden Project’s aim of ensuring 80 per cent of its suppliers were within 15 miles of the seafront site, creating a huge opportunity for local businesses. In Cornwall, for example, the project very quickly created a market for all the domestically produced cheese in the county.
Emphasising the combination of economic and environmental ambitions, Sir Tim added: “We want to find ways to bring a circular economy to life here - it’s a dream for entrepreneurs.”
The project promises to transform Morecambe into a seaside resort for the 21st Century. It will be themed on the rhythms of the earth and will feature two pavilions: the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon. Like its Cornish counterpart, it will be committed to research, education and the local community.
The meeting coincided with an announcement that the government has released a further £2.5 million of the £50 million investment it has designated to the project. That doubles the amount of government money that has been made available and ensures that further design work can take place ahead of construction.
Si Bellamy OBE, the Eden Project’s chief transformation officer, said: “Our focus is now on progressing this project through its delivery phase and working with our world-class teams to perfect the design.”
He added: “This project will be a beacon for regeneration and has the potential to transform the entire region. Eden Projects drive growth. We’ve seen in Cornwall after more than 23 years there has been more than £2.2 billion worth of economic growth and the same, if not more, is possible here.”
Guests attending the event were given an insight into the latest plans for Morecambe and were clearly impressed by the scale of the ambition.
Gill Haigh, chief executive of Cumbria Tourism, said: "This was a timely update for Cumbrian and Lancashire businesses and partners who all recognise the importance of this international attraction to the wider region.
“Cumbria Tourism and Marketing Lancashire have been long term partners working with the Eden Project team to support the business case and look forward to working alongside them to help realise its full potential."
John Osborne, partner at Harrison Dury, who sponsored the event, said: “Eden Project Morecambe is exciting. It’s really not that far in the future and the opportunities it will bring are remarkable.”
Andrew Armitage, founder of A Digital, said he had gained "fantastic insight to the scale of the project and depth of planning currently in play". “After hearing much talk of Eden Project Morecambe over recent years, the presentations we heard finally brought it to a new level of reality, albeit still with plenty of hurdles to overcome.”
Tom Waterhouse, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, added: "The Eden Project has the potential to be transformative for Morecambe and the region. To hear directly at this event how they share that vision was refreshing and informative."
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