Huge £100million beachfront attraction with indoor forests and treehouses forced to delay opening date

Scottish Sun

4 days ago

THE Eden Project in Morecambe has been pushed back by two years with an even later opening date,
The new project costing £100m was expected to open in 2026, but work on the attraction is yet to start.
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The original opening date has been delayed by two years already
Credit: edenproject.com
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Designs reveal treehouses and huge walkways
Credit: Eden Project
With changes still being made on the design details, Eden Project Morecambe is now expected to open in 2028 - two years later than originally planned.
According to the BBC, Local Government Minister Alex Norris confirmed all allocated funding for the project would be in place by early 2026, when building work is likely to get under way.
Despite the delay, an updated report has said that "work has been progressing".
There will also be a big meeting on June 4 to discuss the Eden Project with Lancaster City Council's budget and performance panel.
The Eden Project Morecambe was first given official government approval back in March 2023.
It also secured £50million in Levelling Up funding to allow work to commence on the £100million project.
The project was originally named Eden Project North, and the hope was that it would have the same success as the Eden Project in Cornwall, which opened in 2001.
Plans for the site are very impressive, showing three huge egg-shaped structures looking over the bay.
Other images of the potential site reveal walkways linking treehouses, as well as other wooden structures.
Once completed, the new Eden Project will be home to a "hyper-real forest" with large installations and immersive theatre.
The new £130million Eden Project attraction set to open in the UK
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The new Eden Project will look over the coast of Morecambe Bay
Credit: Grimshaw Architects
The plans also reveal a "Bay Glade" with a well-being landscape and a Natural Observatory for research and education.
There will also be an exhibition area and meeting point for guests named the Bay Hall.
The attraction will also have children's play areas, restaurants, cafes and a gift shop.
The Eden Project website states: "Eden Project Morecambe will be a destination that combines indoor and outdoor experiences, connecting people with the internationally-significant natural environment of Morecambe Bay while also enhancing wellbeing.
"Eden Project Morecambe will combine exhibits, performance, learning, play, immersive experiences, world-class horticulture, live music, art, food, beverage and retail spaces, all integrated as essential parts of the overall experience."
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Inside will be a hyper-real forest and immersive theatre
Credit: Eden Project
The site in Morecambe isn't the only one set to open in the UK, there's plans to build another Eden Project in Dundee.
The Eden Project Dundee was also expected to open in 2026, but has been pushed back to 2030.
The attraction is set to be built along the River Tay and attract as many as 500,000 tourists a year.
Another Eden Project set to open is in Londonderry. This one is set to open this year - two years after the original opening date.
The Eden Project Foyle in Northern Ireland is costing an estimated £67million and is set to have the biggest undercover play area in Europe.
The main attraction will be the Acorn, a "performance area and play space" connected by walkway, with the entire site being the largest undercover play area in Europe.
This includes zip wires, rope bridges, slides, floating boardwalks and paths on the roof that both adults and children can walk along.
Here's more on Morecambe Bay - which got a huge boost from top ITV show.
And a historic UK attraction you can visit now that was named the best in the country by Which?