We speak exclusively to the man who first dreamed up the Eden Project Morecambe idea

Former Lancaster University student Ian Hughes first drew up detailed plans for an Eden Project development on Morecambe promenade in April 2013, after looking at how other seaside towns across the country had turned themselves around.

And this week the Morecambe man said he felt relief as well as vindication after hearing the news that the government's £50m Levelling Up Bid funding meant the scheme could finally get the go-ahead.

Ian said he was “just thinking outside the box” when he set to work on a detailed draft document, which he then presented to senior leaders at Lancaster University.

When the Lancaster Guardian spoke to Ian in 2018, he said he had "total belief in the potential for Morecambe."

And, five years later, that belief has paid off.

"I knew it made sense all round," he said. "Relief is a good word. I said at the outset it would take 10 years; it’s been 11 years this month since I started working it all up, and we’ve had the almost two Covid years in that.

"Vindicated is another good verb; there were a lot of people in the beginning saying I was stupid, that Eden would never be interested in Morecambe and that there would be no money for it.

"I’m obviously feeling some pride, it's not every day you get a multi-million pound investment for your home town."

A lot of Ian's original ideas have been incorporated into the final designs.

The scheme is set to include mussel shell-shaped exhibition pavilions, hosting indoor and outdoor activities, and extra events through the summer.

The updated proposals include main zones designed around themes of the bay, above and below the bay, human well-being and an observatory.

The buildings will include shell-shaped pavilions connected to provide a sand dune landscape appearance, with a rolling roof covered in coastal plants.

The site will include exhibits, performance space, learning, play and immersive experiences, alongside three café-restaurants, a visitor centre and retail space.

In addition to the main venue, an outdoor arena holding up to 6,000 people is included in the proposals.

"I knew Eden would come up with stunning ideas, I just needed to paint a picture of what it could be like to get key people on board," Ian said.

"On the whole, though, a lot of my ideas have been incorporated – arrived at without my influence, I think – which is very satisfying.

"I suggested maritime/Morecambe Bay themes, I located it where it’s going and I christened it Eden Project North, which they’ve now changed to Eden Project Morecambe - a better idea that really identifies the town and puts it right on the destination map."

Before his idea for Eden came about, Ian had won a national design award for a retail, leisure and marina development for Morecambe, but the recession in 2008 put paid to the plans.

But Ian didn't give up, and two years later he was considering an Eden Project in the north west - without even visiting the Cornwall attraction.

"I knew there had to be something big out there for Morecambe," he said. "I read about how Tate St Ives and Turner Margate had transformed the economy of those resorts and it came to me that we should have an Eden Project.

"I spent a year researching and going down explorative avenues to see if it continued to stack up or if I hit a brick wall.

"I knew myself I had to go with it, despite a few naysayers."

However, there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes before Ian finally got Eden on board with his idea.

"From the start I knew I could not ring Eden and say 'Hey, my name’s Ian Hughes, can we have an Eden in Morecambe please?' he said.

"Things don’t work like that. You need to build interest and confidence from the ground up, bring on board the movers and shakers to legitimise it, add leverage and build momentum.

"My goal was always to get Lancaster University in. I did this with a 20-minute presentation to 15 senior academics and managers, followed by a gruelling 100 minutes of really tough questions.

"I knew it would always be hard to relinquish control, but I’d done what I set out to achieve and had to let go.

"Something I am particularly delighted about is the Morecambe Bay Curriculum.

"My concept was big on education, as I know Eden are, especially on environmental issues, as are Lancaster University.

"When this curriculum was announced in collaboration with the uni, the college and local schools, I think that was a moment I knew something big and real had happened as a result of my initial efforts, and boy was I chuffed with that, and I even thought that if the big prize didn’t make it, this was one seriously important thing to come out of it all."

After submitting the plans, Ian went on to do a Masters in Natural Sciences at Lancaster University.

He now lives in Ireland where he runs his company, Oakstone Environmental Consulting.

And despite not having any input into the latter stages of the scheme's progress - or this week's success - Ian remains proud of the legacy his initial idea will leave.

"It has been called a game-changer for the north west, not just Morecambe, and modesty aside, I truly believe it will stimulate and change an entire region’s economy for decades to come," he said.

"I already know of investors waiting in the wings for the green light, Something like this does not happen in isolation, it is the catalyst for even greater investment and development, which my concept document clearly stated.

"Jobs and a much brighter future will come from this without doubt."