Eden Project North community conversation: September 2021

In short, yes, but this is an area that will continue to be developed. 

Measuring and ensuring the wider success of Eden Project North will be an ongoing activity and will involve several partners and stakeholders. Much of our feasibility and planning work will be used to generate a baseline to measure against, particularly in environmental terms. 

A number of other benefits have already been and will continue to be developed for measuring the positive outcomes of Eden Project North. The main tangible benefits will be further developed with central government, the LEP and the local authorities as part of a formal ‘Monitoring and Evaluation Framework’ which will be implemented as part of gaining public funding contributions to the project. 

Outside of that framework, we are working with a number of other stakeholders, such as Marketing Lancashire and the Poverty & Truth Commission, to capture wider data in partnership with Lancaster University. 

This will ensure that Eden delivers ROI against the ‘triple bottom line’ of Social, Economic and Environmental benefits. Similar to Eden in Cornwall, reports will be carried out at particular milestones, for example 5 and 10 years after opening. 

Yes – visual impact has been assessed over the entire 15km study area but only worked up in detail (with rendered views) where there are deemed to be risks of demonstrable impact e.g. on significant landscapes or heritage assets. Assessment and photomontage viewpoint locations were selected and agreed during the EIA process in consultation with Lancaster City Council, and the Arnside and Silverdale and Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnerships.

The description of potential impacts on views from the distant coastal edge within the Arnside and Silverdale AONB (Viewpoint 17), and potential impacts described for views experienced by persons on the Bay waters and on the guided walk northeast of the site, also applies to other similarly distant views across the bay towards the proposed development.  Although Eden North may be seen from many points around the Bay, the significance of effect of the proposed development on these more distant views would be negligible and are therefore not developed to photomontage level in the EIA. 

We are aware of the recent acquisition of this site by the Council and it will figure in the wider transformation envisaged of which Eden North will hopefully be a catalyst. The Frontierland site is not part of our current proposals, and we understand the council are looking at a number of complementary development options. 

We agree these views are important and figure in the overarching design process, however, for the Environmental Statement, the criteria for developing certain views is more prescriptive, depending on whether there is perceived impact e.g. on the area’s natural or heritage assets.  

The visual assessment in the ES includes an assessment of potential impacts on views experienced by residents and businesses along the coastal settlement edge of Morecambe, including along the northern and western edges of the West End Conservation Area. 

Photomontage views were selected to inform judgements on potential impacts on views experienced by the closest or most sensitive receptors, who would experience noticeable or significant change to their view as a result of the proposed development; and on sequential views from Morecambe Promenade along the coastal settlement edge, in particular within 1km of the site boundary, where potential impacts would be greater. 

The Visual Assessment at Table 6.10, and summarised at Table 6.11, describes potential impacts on views assessed within the 15km study area with reference to relevant photomontage views, and with a focus on the most significant visual effects, and effects on views from within designated landscapes.   

Eden in Cornwall has contributed more than £2.2bn to the regional economy and this figure is based on an report produced in 2009 by Amion Consulting for the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA). This report followed an industry- and academically-agreed direct economic impact methodology and was used by the government and SWRDA to evaluate the impact of Eden. Since then, we've extrapolated from that what the rise would have been over time. Investment in the Cornwall Eden Project came from a variety of sources, including the Millennium Commission, the EU and SWRDA.

We are in dialogue with SUSTRANS and the Morecambe Bay Partnership to help support the Bay Cycle way initiative and believe it would be a wonderful asset for the area. The proposals for our site preserve and enhance the current cycle routes and, through our landscape proposals, we will help make this safe and enjoyable for all users. 

Eden North will incentivise visitors and staff to use their bikes as part of a sustainable transport policy. Cycling initiatives are always supported by Eden and we will look at how our communities team can help other organisations such as SUSTRANS and British Cycling, as well as local groups, to encourage those who are less experienced cyclists. The promenade is a great place to build confidence on a bike away from busy roads and we are preserving the existing promenade routes through the site for 24/7 use by the public. 

We have an ambition to encourage visitors to enjoy the Bay and actually get out on the water and experience it via ‘Bay Rovers’ but this will be a later phase of the project and possibly in partnership with others (the RNLI do this in Salcombe). We are also trying to support improved rail services to Morecambe and a move to non-fossil fuel transport modes – look out for that in the future! 

Eden in Cornwall has always been a hub for the community – we are sometimes referred to as Cornwall’s village hall - and a venue and supporter of a huge variety of events. This philosophy will be reflected in our approach in Morecambe and we hope to be part of bringing a range of diverse events to the town.

We continue to have very fruitful and encouraging conversations with the Government and remain confident for positive news regarding funding from them soon.  It fits with so many government agenda points and it is clear that it represents value to the public purse. Alongside government funding, Eden Project North will come from a variety of sources – both public- and private-sector – and we have had productive conversations with other funders too. There is a balance here, but we feel strongly that £70M investment from government (alongside our commercial partners) represent the appropriate investment, given the societal and economic returns.

All of the spaces except for Below the Bay will have ‘living landscape experiences’ and will require lots of natural light. Despite the compact site, Eden North needs to be able to sustain a visitor dwell time of around 4 hours and the ability to explore the full volume of the shell pavilions allows for this journey. 

The pavilions may be further optimised in terms of overall size but the Environmental statement demonstrates the maximum parameters that may be required for the enclosures. Additionally, the curvature and materials will allow for a significant blending with the sky and bayscape, further reducing the perceived height. The shell forms are also the most efficient in structural terms and this is an important part of our approach to sustainability (less material/embodied carbon).