Morecambe's Eden Project North decision expected by end of year

Eden Project North submitted a £50m bid to Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund in August, which was signed off by Morecambe MP David Morris as his priority bid for the area.

The bid is currently being assessed by officials in the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, and during Treasury Questions on October 11 Mr Morris was told that a decision on the funding would be announced by the end of the year.

Speaking during Treasury Questions Mr Morris asked: “The Eden Project North is, as far as I am aware, the only project in the second phase of the levelling-up round that has planning permission and land allocated.

"I would like to know when the decisions will be made so that we can get this shovel-ready scheme going. Eden has £50m to put on the table, and we are asking for £50m as match funding, in effect.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Felicity Buchan MP said: “Decisions on the second phase of the levelling-up round will be made by the end of the year, and I wish my hon. Friend well.”

On Friday Jeremy Hunt MP was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr Hunt is a close friend of Mr Morris and he raised Eden with him directly after his appointment.

During the Chancellor’s statement on Monday Mr Morris invited the new Chancellor to visit Morecambe to meet the Eden Project North team.

he said: “I would like to welcome my right hon. Friend—my friend—to his new position as Chancellor. Madam Deputy Speaker, you would not know this, but my right hon. Friend should have been coming to Morecambe on Thursday, but of course last weekend has changed these things.

"However, I extend the invitation to come to Morecambe so that he can see how much money has been spent there and how well it has been doing since 2010, and also see the Eden Project North site and the stakeholders.”

Mr Hunt said: “I would be delighted to accept my hon. Friend’s invitation. He might not want to tell me what he would like as a christening present for his daughter, because I now have a trillion pounds at my disposal.”

Following the statement Mr Morris said: “Eden Project North is at a pivotal stage and is extremely near the stage when the project becomes a reality.

"The Bid for Levelling Up round 2 funding is with the Department for Levelling Up now and the Financial Secretary has confirmed that this funding will be announced by the end of the year.

"I wasted no time making the case for Eden with the new Chancellor and ensured it was in the forefront of his mind both as he took the appointment and in his first statement to the House.

"Eden Project North is pivotal to our area and I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure it is at the top of the Government agenda until the funding is announced.”