"Keep the faith" says Project boss as resident tells of 'Eden fatigue' in Morecambe

An Eden Project chief has called for Morecambe residents to "keep the faith" over their long-awaited attraction on the Promenade after he was told many locals are suffering from "Eden fatigue".

Andy Jasper, CEO of the Eden Project, was replying to a question from a resident at a 'Community Conversation' public event on Monday.

"What are you going to be doing about 'Eden fatigue'?" a local woman asked, during a public Q&A session with Eden bosses and partners held at Morecambe Football Club on Monday evening.

"I've have spent so many years coming to these meetings and discussions, and I've had so many people say to me 'never going to happen'.

"It is a major problem, that people are losing faith. People were so enthused. What are you going to do to discourage fatigue?"

This comes after numerous delays to the scheme, which is now scheduled to open in winter 2028.

Plans for an Eden Project visitor attraction to be built in Morecambe were first officially announced in 2018.

Then when planning permission was granted in 2022, Eden bosses said they aimed to open by 2024. 

Later, the planned opening date was revised to 2026, and then 2027.

Mr Jasper (below) said on Monday: "The thing with fatigue is that it's about expectation.

"With the timeline, we could be hostage to fortune, the weather could change, but the point is that we want to be as honest we can be about where we're going to be and how the project can be delivered.

"I'm sorry it's taken longer than expected. I really am sorry about that. 

"This is quite a quick project. A lot of projects take many many more years than this. You've just got to keep riding with it.

"2026 will help with the fatigue when we start to see diggers on the site and things happening.

"Keep the faith, keep talking it up, don't talk it down."

Earlier in the meeting, John Pye, new project director and 'employee number one' at Eden Project Morecambe, gave an update on the timescales for building the new attraction on the central Promenade.

The project is currently in the design development phase, and Mr Pye said it will move into other phases as follows:

Winter 2025 - Planning amendments and approval

Spring 2026 - Site enabling work

Summer 2026 - Appointment of main contractor and construction starts

2027 - Construction of main shell and core

Winter 2027 - Main building work completed

2028 - Internal fit out

Winter 2028 - Opening

Mr Pye said that amended planning applications scheduled in September 2025 will include "lots of information in the public domain we can all take a look at".

Eden Project Morecambe was first given planning permission by Lancaster City Council in January 2022.

He also said that "really detailed site investigations" on the land earmarked for Eden - the former Dome and Bubbles site - are "likely to happen, probably in the next couple of months".

Mr Pye said that "early 2026 into summer 2026" would see "real movement on site, the first excitement for everybody".

"I'm putting my neck on the line here but we're very confident that this timeline, subject to horrendous winters, is deliverable," he said.

Below, a CGI image, released this week, of how Eden Project Morecambe will look.

Tarnia Elsworth, a resident who runs TP Financial Solutions in Morecambe, also asked a question during the Q&A.

"A lot of people I speak to are most disappointed that we were told a timescale and it keeps getting kicked down the line," she said.

"I always feel it's better to underpromise and overdeliver. My concern is that by saying (2028) - it doesn't sound deliverable.

"I think, as a Morecambe resident and business owner, I'd much rather you said it's going to be 2030 and 2032, and it actually be delivered.

"You're losing the faith of a lot of people in Morecambe when you say these deadlines and people say, right, you said that last year.

"Can you guarantee that it won't be kicked down the line another year, and then another year and another year?"

Mr Pye replied: "We all know the construction industry is challenging at the best of times. We've got a trajectory now that I think is challenging but deliverable.

"There is always the risk that we hit the unknown unknowns. I can't sit here and promise that we're not going to get two horrible winters where we slow down in terms of construction.

"We remain extremely positive. I'll be doing everything I can to make sure I'm keeping on track with project risks and what the community want and need from the project. We've got to get the doors open as soon as we possibly can."

Jonathan Noad, chief officer for sustainable growth at Lancaster City Council who was also on the panel,  said that the Government had "stress tested the timeframes".

Other residents asked about plans to improve the transport networks around Morecambe, to cope with the expected influx of visitors.

They suggested creating a 'park and ride' near Heysham, and making more use of the under-used train line from Heysham Port to Morecambe Railway Station.

Below, Morecambe Railway Station.

Transport specialist Kevin Riley from WSP, a global engineering and professional services firm working with Eden, was also on Monday night's panel.

"We're looking at all options and I agree that railway line is underutilised," he said.

"We are looking and considering, can we create links in that Heysham area? My thought would be it's a longer term option.

"The first thing I want to do it get the trains working fantastically to and from Lancaster. I want to improve the ability for trains to come between Lancaster and Morecambe, and also make sure whether it's Manchester, Liverpool and the Lakes, they are tying in to those trains."

Another resident criticised lack of trains between Lancaster and Morecambe, and asked the panel "have any of you actually tried to get a train from Morecambe into Lancaster, return, and did you succeed?"

Mr Riley replied: "Let's try and get them right between Morecambe and Lancaster. The train industry does tend to work on a slower pace than we want to deliver. Our aim is to work positively with them."

Nick Smith, owner and developer of the Queens Market building in Morecambe town centre, said: "When Eden was first mooted there was a lot of excitement among young people, for the job opportunities.

"Once people start seeing shovels in the ground, the town will start regenerating itself. At the moment it's stagnating, it's actually going downhill because of the Eden effect, because people don't see it actually happening."

Mr Jasper replied: "I want young people right now, to be thinking there are jobs for them.

"The Public Realm area (at Eden Project Morecambe), the garden area between the buildings and the road, for me it's absolutely fundamental that young people can engage with how the design is coming together, and that this is a place for them, not just older people."

The panel were also asked for projected figures on the maximum numbers of visitors they were expecting to go to Eden Project Morecambe.

Mr Jasper said they were "aiming to operate around the 600-700,000 visitor (per year) mark".

"We will be limiting the tickets to ensure people pre-buy," said Mr Jasper.

"If demand is off the charts we have to play with the operating model, and there are ways we can allow more people to visit. The last thing I want is for people to be disappointed."

Another resident criticised the Eden Project board for a statement made in January 2025, after the educational charity reported an increased pre-tax loss in its 2023/24 accounts.

The man, speaking during the Q&A on Monday, said comments relating to the war in Ukraine were "inappropriate, misleading and disgusting" and "outrageous", and asked if the panel stood by the statement.

Other members of the audience called for him to "shut up" and for things to "move on", as tensions rose in the room during the man's questioning of the panel.

Mr Jasper said in response: "It's a rhetorical question, I don't even know the context and it's very aggressive, what's going on right now."

Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council, suggested a written answer may be appropriate.

Earlier this year, upon the release of their 2023/24 accounts, a statement from the Eden board said: “During this financial year, we emerged from the aftershocks of Russia invading Ukraine and the knock on effect on global energy prices, to a period of receding inflation and lowering interest rates.

“However, consumer confidence is still negative, but significantly improved over its all time low in October 2022.

“All of these factors impacted the trading results of Eden Project Limited during 2023/24.”

The resident also asked "Is there any legally binding assurance that if the Eden Project Morecambe fails, not one taxpayer, ratepayer or business of Morecambe and Lancaster, will pay one penny?"

Councillor Jackson said he'd had a written answer to this question but the man said he'd not had an answer from the panel.

The council leader had earlier opened the meeting by acknowledging the length of time it has taken for the new Eden attraction to be built, since the Conservative government pledged half the £100m cost of the scheme in January 2023.

Below, then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Morecambe in 2023 to announce £50m from the government's Levelling Up scheme towards the project.

"When we got the £50m, didn't it feel like it was done and dusted?" Councillor Jackson said to the audience.

"It hasn't been like that.

"The government wanted a full business case. That takes a long time. They wanted subsidy control. That takes a long time.

"We have had an acre of time when something seems to have happened. Things have got more expensive. That £50m isn't worth as much as it was.

"It was a couragous thing to do for the people of Morecambe to throw their lot in with Eden. It was a dream.

"Here you are, still coming, still having that hope, and work through the frustration of the lack of action we've had. You're the persistent people, and to see so many of you, it's wonderful."

At the meeting, it was announced that a Morecambe Bay Curriculum Conference will be held at Lancaster University on July 4 from noon to 5pm.

The theme will be 'How to build a Climate Action Plan that supports people and place'.

The Morecambe Bay Curriculum is a partnership between Eden and local universities, colleges and schools, in which children and young people explore the themes of environment, sustainability and place using the ecosystems surrounding Morecambe Bay as a classroom.

The next 'Community Conversation' on the Eden Project Morecambe will be held later this year.

Earlier this week, the latest designs of how the attraction might look were released to the public.

Below, concept art of the 'Realm of the Sun' at the planned Eden Project Morecambe

The proposed Eden Project Morecambe will combine indoor and outdoor attractions, themed around Morecambe Bay.

Read more: INTERVIEW: Eden Project boss explains new designs of £100m Morecambe attraction - Beyond Radio

Read more: New designs of Eden Project Morecambe revealed - Beyond Radio

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