Conservationists rejoice! The Eden Project has been given the go ahead to build a huge, swanky new site in the seaside town of Morecambe in Lancashire, north-west England. Called, fittingly, Eden Project North, it’ll comprise huge domes filled with plant species and educational facilities, and look out over Morecambe Bay.
In other words, look very much like the first Eden Project in Cornwall. The site in Morecambe, however, will have more of a marine focus than its southern counterpart – something also reflected in its shell-like designs.
The four domes will each simulate different environments, and there will be also two restaurants on site. The development will cost £125 million and it’s hoped it will attract 760,000 tourists per year and create 400 jobs. Much like the original Eden Project, it will combine conservation and education with exhibitions, art, live music and retail.
The development will breathe new life into Morecambe, an underappreciated corner of England best known for its gorgeous sands and for being within easy reach of both the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District.
And on top of all that, Eden Project North will be an especially eco-friendly tourist attraction. The domes will be made of sustainably-sourced timber and covered in solar panels. Developers reckon that the attraction may eventually be not just carbon neutral, but carbon negative. Pretty impressive, eh?
This isn’t the only new Eden Project in the works. Dozens of similar sites are currently being built around the world, from Dundee in Scotland and Qingdao in China to Australia, Costa Rica and Colombia. The Morecambe project has just received planning permission and is set to open in 2024.
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