Event Summary
Place on Tour: Morecambe
Place North West and Lancaster City Council hosted an event in the Winter Gardens theatre inviting industry figures to see what development opportunities Morecambe presents.
With the much anticipated Eden Project Morecambe securing more funding from the government, Lancaster City councillors spoke with excitement about the potential benefits it could bring to Morecambe.
Jonathon Noad, chief officer for sustainable growth at LCC, described Eden Project Morecambe as the town’s “impetus” for growth and regeneration.
The Frontierland site offers 7.5 acres of waterfront development potential. Credit: JCD Drones
Frontierland
LCC’s greatest development offer – Frontierland – is a 7.5-acre site metres from the sea, looking out across Morecambe Bay.
LCC wants to appoint a developer partner to regenerate the former funfair grounds on the promenade.
Cllr Catherine Potter, who has responsibility for the visitor economy, called the site “a window out to the magnificent landscape of Morecambe Bay”.
Councillors view Frontierland as the largest development opportunity in central Morecambe for many years.
Cllr Caroline Jackson, deputy leader of LLC, said: “We already know that Morecambe is a special place but over the next few years we will see the town really begin to blossom.
“Key to it all will be building strong partnerships and working with investors to create a thriving seaside resort fit for the 21st century.”
She added: “Frontierland is an excellent investment opportunity and by inviting along these investors to see the site and the town for themselves we were able to showcase its potential.”
With the Eden Project Morecambe’s development pressing on, councillors are keen to maximise the economic benefits from the potential 3,700 peak daily visitors.
Johnathon Noad said: ‘It’s up to us to make the best of [the site] with high-quality development to compliment what Eden is doing.’ Credit: Place North
The development objectives also state bidders’ plans need to improve connections and footfall to enhance Morecambe’s appeal.
To maintain “strategic control” of the land, the brownfield site was acquired by the council in 2021.
The land has gone unused for 25 years – its use as a seaside attraction ended in 1999.
LCC wants the procurement process to be centred around a competitive procedure with dialogue.
The timeline laid out for the procurement procedure is as follows:
- Selection Questionnaire: October 2025
- Initial Dialogue: January – February 2025
- Interim Tenders: 31 March 2025
- Detailed Dialogue: May – June 2025
- Final Tenders: 13 August 2025
- Contract Award: October 2025
The project’s reference is DN742200. The tender can be viewed at precontract.duenorth.com
Eden Project North would be transformational for Morecambe. Credit: via planning documents
Eden Project Morecambe
“You don’t get £50m of government money to not deliver on commitments”, said Sarah Walker-Smith, a non-executive chair at Eden Project Morecambe, whose presentation underpinned the transformative potential of the Eden Project Morecambe.
Eden’s offer will attempt to reflect the ecology of Morecambe Bay, with a focus on its “tides and rhythms”, said Walker-Smith.
The project has received a further £2.5m from the government, which will fund the designing phase of the scheme. A designer is expected to be announced this month.
First conceived in 2010, the statement project hopes to attract around 740,000 visitors to Morecambe a year.
In total, the project will deliver 270,000 sq ft of public realm space and almost 108,000 sq ft of internal exhibition space.
Sarah Walker-Smith discusses Eden Project Morecambe during the Morecambe investment tour. Credit: Place North
Eden Project Morecambe will have three seashell-shaped domes, each presenting visitors with a different environment.
The largest of the domes, to be named the Realm of the Sun, will be double the size of the 20,000 sq ft Realm of the Moon. The third dome will host an environment called the Four Seasons Garden.
In addition to the domes, a 6,000-person outdoor venue will host major musical events at least six times a year.
The Eden Project Morecambe will be a statement for the town, visible on a clear day from around the bay.
Built on reclaimed land, the site was once a seaside lido, said to be the largest outdoor pool in Europe when it opened in 1936.
Current projections suggest Eden Project Morecambe could be operational by spring 2027.
Learn more about regeneration sites and projects in Lancaster City by visiting lancaster.gov.uk/sites/regeneration.
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- John
