Eden Project North misses out on government cash bid

The Eden Project North has missed out on a proposed £8m bid for government cash to help fund infrastructure connected to the scheme.

Lancashire answered a call from ministers earlier in the summer to identify so-called “shovel-ready” projects where national investment could speed up the delivery of local developments that were already in the pipeline.

Lancashire’s provisional pitch was for a total of £62.5m across 16 schemes, but the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has since prioritised 10 developments that equated to the county’s indicative £34.1m allocation under the government’s Getting Building Fund – which has now been secured in full.

The bid for “transport management and capacity investment” for the Eden Project North was not one of those ultimately put forward.

However, Lancashire County Council’s executive director for growth, transport, environment and community services, Stephen Young, said the attraction was in no way jeopardised by the decision.

“Eden is still a massive priority, not just for Lancashire, but the whole of the North of England.

“We saw this as an opportunity to submit a bid to fund a lot of the infrastructure. It wasn’t for Eden itself, because the funding was for schemes that had to be completed by March 2023, – so instead it was for some [of the associated works] that could have been completed by that time.

“It may have been that the criteria for funding had to be around job creation – and infrastructure spending doesn’t create many jobs beyond the building process. However, we didn’t know the methodology being used or what we were being judged against,” Mr. Young explained.

A planning application for the project is due to be submitted next year.

Back in June, the county council – together with the standalone authorities in Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – produced a document entitled “Redefining Lancashire”, in which they set out a pitch to government for a total of £2bn of broader support for the county to help it recover from the pandemic.

Chair of the LEP, Steve Fogg, said of the £34m announced by the government this week: “All of the successful ten schemes have demonstrated they have the ability to accelerate growth and create employment, and we have chosen a really good mix of projects which will have an impact across the whole of the county.

“The schemes range from regeneration projects in some of our towns which have been adversely impacted by Covid-19, to high-end research and development facilities which will contribute to the government’s clean growth agenda,” Mr. Fogg added.

THE SUCCESSFUL SCHEMES

Houndshill Shopping Centre, Blackpool

Leisure and retail-led extension, including:

• 9-screen Imax-style cinema

• 2 restaurants

• Relocated Wilko Store

Abingdon Street, Blackpool

A new retail and service offering designed to address the needs and demands of residents and visitors to provide a modern experience.

Pioneer Place, Burnley

Retail and leisure development on brownfiled site – includes relocation of REEL Cinema from its current out-of-town base and a branded food and drink outlet.

Alker Lane, Chorley

New commercial floorspace, including affordable office accommodation and industrial units – directed towards scale-ups, start-ups and new businesses promoting inward investment in the digital and creative sector.

Tatton Recreation Ground, Chorley

Redevelopment of the former Stagecoach bus depot to develop an “extra care” scheme offering 63 one and two-bedroomed apartments, where older people can live independently. Also, provision of a GP surgery and pharmacy, with landscape work on the park and gardens at Tatton Recreation Ground. Plus, 14 “low-rise” residential dwellings, of which around a third will be designated as affordable housing.

Lancashire Centre for Alternative Technologies, Hyndburn/pan-Lancashire

Specialist support for the low-carbon sector, to help commercialise and showcase Lancashire’s green technology innovations.

Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, pan-Lancashire

Low-carbon building demonstrator will promote retrofittable smart building technologies for manufactures.

Project Neptune, Fleetwood Docks

Mixed-use development, including a modern purpose-built fish park and enabling works for first phase of serviced land suitable for waterfront residential development.

Hillhouse Enterprise Zone, Wyre

Electrical, water and access infrastructure for all existing businesses and new occupants of the planned new-build Hillhouse International Business Park. Expected to create 200 jobs.

Heyhouses link road, Fylde

Connection between Heyhouses Lane in Lytham St. Annes and the existing roundabout at Cropper Road and Whitehill Road on the outskirts of Blackpool. Designed to provide an alternative route to the M55 and relieve congestion on the B5261.

UNSUCCESSFUL SCHEMES

Blackburn with Darwen

Digital education upskilling hub.

Chorley

Bengal Street – developing the site currently occupied by a council depot.

Lancaster

Eden Project North, Morecambe – advance transport management and capacity investment.

Pendle

Pendle Park enabling works

Preston

Development of two thermal treatment processes to be used in the management of nuclear materials