£100m scheme has faced delays but is aiming for late 2028 opening
Major progress will need to be made on the Eden Project Morecambe if it is to open as planned late in 2028.
The £100m scheme has been delayed by changing governments and general elections, rising costs and re-designs. But Eden and other partners insist the project is progressing.
Planning permission was first granted in 2022 for four shell-like domes and spaces. But it was scaled back to two main domes and gardens in a new application in autumn 2025. Consultation on the updated plan is underway now and will run into early 2026. Then a formal planning decision will be made.
Eden needs to find £50m in donations and sponsorship, while £50m has been allocated from the UK government.
At an Eden Project community conversation Andy Jasper, Eden’s chief executive, acknowledged the delays but said Eden planned to open in late 2028. Reasons for the changes included rising costs, refinement of designs and the need for ‘wow factor’ visitor experiences, and further consideration of nearby buildings including Morecambe Winter Gardens, Midland Hotel and the town’s war memorial.
Speaking recently, Morecambe councillor Martin Bottoms, who has a regeneration role on Lancaster City Council’s cabinet, said he was also confident Eden will progress. Separately, he said a city council annoucement about a partner to redevelop the former Frontierland theme park site in Morecambe is due in early 2026.
The proposed new Eden Morecambe plan has two domes, called the Realm of the Sun and the Realm of the Moon, and a linking Metronome building. Two gardens are also proposed, the All Seasons Garden and the Rhythms Garden. These inspired by shell shapes and structures, coastal plants and shoreline characteristics.
In autumn 2025, Eden began test digging at the Morecambe site, to get a better understanding of old underground structures including a former sea wall. Eden bosses hailed that development as ‘positive momentum’. It said the work would mitigate any risks, streamline planning and improve the final outcomes.
Also in recent months, the first recruitment drive began for the project. Roles included vacancies in project management, communications, administration, finance and fund-raising.
John Pye was also appointed as the Morecambe project director, based at Morecambe Town Hall. He previously worked at the RHS Bridgewater Gardens site in Salford, Greater Manchester. At Morecambe, Eden is working with an external design team including Grimshaw Architects and WSP, and new images show the redesigned attraction.
The Eden Project is being delivered in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University. In addition to tourism and environmental activity, it aims to boost local education and skills, including a school curriculum, apprenticeship training at Lancaster & Morecambe College, and university research. Arts and music events are also planned, including new performance space at Eden and work with existing local venues.
