A decision on whether to grant funding to a planned Eden Project North has been delayed again.
A Lancaster City Council spokesperson told Beyond Radio on Tuesday morning that they have been told not to expect the Levelling Up Round 2 decisions until the end of January.
The government had previously said announcements about successful bids for the money would come by the end of 2022, and prior to that, in the autumn.
The Financial Times reported that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities sent a letter to MPs on Monday evening confirming that phase 2 of the fund, totalling £2.1bn, would be announced by the end of January.
A government spokesperson said: “The Levelling Up Fund puts money directly into the hands of local leaders to invest in projects which matter most to local people and we will be announcing the outcome of round 2 by the end of January.
“With so many high-quality applications we want to take the time to carefully consider the bids to allocate additional funds, meaning up to £2.1bn will be granted to successful bids in this round.
“We appreciate the work that bidders have put into the applications and we thank them for their patience.”
An Eden Project spokesperson said: "A £50m bid to the Levelling Up Fund was submitted by Lancaster City Council for Eden Project North earlier this year and we await the Government's decision on whether the bid has been successful.
"We are confident that the bid makes a strong case for investment and that Eden Project North will provide an economic, environmental and cultural boost to the North West region, providing excellent value for money for the taxpayer.
"We are hugely grateful to all our friends and supporters who have backed this project."
Beyond Radio has contacted David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, for comment.
Supporters of the project had received a positive sign when on Saturday, The Daily Mirror reported that Eden North was "expected to get the go-ahead".
The national newspaper said the £50m of Levelling Up funding would be unveiled this week and would allow the project to move to its next phase.
In response, a spokesperson for the Eden Project told Beyond Radio they'd had no indication of when an announcement on the fund might be made, beyond what the government has stated publicly.
Lancaster City Council announced in August that they had put in a bid to fund the planned eco-attraction in Morecambe, described as a "game-changer" for the town and surrounding area.
Many other parts of the UK have submitted bids for the grants, and it is hoped that Eden will be one of two successful bids in the 'culture and heritage investment' category.
It has been estimated that the Eden Project North could pull 740,000 visitors to Morecambe annually.
It would combine indoor and outdoor attractions, themed around Morecambe Bay, and will include plants, art and interactive exhibits, a concert area for live music events, three cafe/restaurants and a visitor centre.
Around 300 high-quality green jobs would be directly created by Eden Project North, plus more than 1,000 additional new jobs supported in the region.
The Eden team hope to be on site to begin work early next year, should their bid be approved.
The Eden Project visitor attraction in Cornwall has transformed the region's economy since opening in 2000.
A Government contribution of £50m would form half of the projected £100m cost of building the eco-attraction on the central Promenade, with the remainder of the funds coming from private and philanthropic sources.
Partners working with the Eden Project on Eden Project North are Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and Lancaster University.
Planning permission was unanimously granted by Lancaster City Council in January.
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