A BID for £50m of public investment for Eden Project North in Morecambe has been submitted to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund by Lancaster City Council.

The Eden bid aims to be one of the two £50m awards being given out in the second round of the Levelling Up Fund for projects with a culture and heritage investment theme.

These awards are for 'flagship projects and must be in line with the fund’s focus on highly visible interventions that boost local pride in place'.

The bid builds upon the detailed work done by Eden on its initial business case for Eden Project North submitted to the Government in September 2020 and sets out the economic, environmental, social, educational and cultural benefits that Eden Project North will bring to Morecambe and the surrounding region.

READ MORE: Planning permission granted unanimously for Eden Project North

In Cumbria: Eden Project NorthEden Project North

Around 300 high-quality green jobs will be directly created by Eden Project North, plus more than 1,000 additional new jobs supported in the region.

Annual visitor numbers are projected to be 740,000 and additional revenue brought into local businesses due to Eden Project North is set to exceed the £50m Government investment within months of the project opening.

Rob Chatwin, group CEO of the Eden Project, said: “We’re delighted to have got to the point of submitting this formal bid for government investment.

"This moment is the culmination of years of hard work by David Harland and the team developing the ideas for Eden Project North alongside our partners in the North West.

"Thank you to everyone who has come on this journey with us so far.

"Morecambe Bay is a uniquely beautiful location and we have designed Eden Project North to complement and enhance that.”

Alongside Lancaster City Council, the other partners working with the Eden Project on Eden Project North are Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and Lancaster University.

READ MORE: New Eden project could be a 'terrific boost' for South Lakeland

In Cumbria: Eden Project NorthEden Project North (Image: Eden Project)

Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “Eden Project North provides an outstanding opportunity to reinvent Morecambe for the 21st century.

"Simply put, it will transform the local economy and have a transformative effect not just on Morecambe but the whole region.

"I have to thank all the Eden partners for the tireless energy and commitment they have shown as we put together this comprehensive bid.”