Eden Project Morecambe represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the local community in Morecambe and North West England. This transformative attraction aims to inspire wonder and connection with the natural world, while supporting Eden Project’s mission to drive positive action for the planet. It follows the success of the internationally renowned Eden Project in Cornwall, which launched in 2001. 

It will be situated on the central promenade of Morecambe, on the former site of the Bubbles leisure complex, neighbouring with the Grade II* listed Winter Gardens and Midland Hotel. A key challenge is working alongside our partners at Grimshaw Architects to ensure the design is sensitive and complementary to these historical buildings and sightlines across the Bay.  

The project is being delivered in partnership with Eden Project, Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University and is due to open in 2028. Our journey with the project started in 2018 and continues today as part of the integrated design team with Grimshaw Architects that will take the project towards delivery. 

Location

  • United Kingdom

Client

  • Eden Project Morecambe Ltd | Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council | Lancaster University

Project Status

  • Design
WSP is proud to play a key role in bringing the globally recognised Eden Project brand to the North West of England. Our appointment as Integrated Design Team Lead reflects our commitment to delivering transformative projects that align with local aspirations. We look forward to working closely with Grimshaw Architects and the client team to help deliver this visionary place.

Accelerating planning consent to unlock critical government funding

Town planning is an important process that ensures built environment professionals make the right decisions about new developments. It binds the client and design team to principles that will deliver meaningful outcomes for the economy, environment and communities. Since joining the project in 2018, we’ve collaborated closely with the client team, helping them navigate the planning system and secure additional Government funding. 

The project has presented many complexities, including its proximity to several heritage assets and its position in Flood Risk Zones. We also had to carefully consider its closeness to the Morecambe Bay Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation. Our planning and environmental specialists, including ecologists, flood, drainage, heritage and noise experts worked with the client to ensure the planning applications addressed local and national policy. This went above and beyond requirements for biodiversity net gain, operational waste and embodied carbon. 

Planning permission was granted in 2022, which allowed the project to successfully secure £50 million in public sector funding by January 2023. Our planners are now collaborating closely with the design team to ensure a swift start on-site.  

Connecting visitors with sustainable transport

To align with Eden Project’s core mission, sustainable travel needed to be placed at the heart of the transport and mobility strategy.  So how could we help the client team to align the transport and mobility strategy to the project and client ethos? 

Our transport experts utilised innovative insights and solutions adopted on similar projects across the world. These ideas were built around principles of active travel and pedestrianisation as well as using the transport strategy to support economic goals. For example, the strategy increases dwell time for visitors in Morecambe to activate the local economy, boost small businesses and generate social value.

Sustainability was also a driver in our proposals to use existing underutilised infrastructure. This involved using park and ride facilities situated outside of the town and maximising the five-mile Morecambe railway branch line which provides east-west connectivity to stations on the United Kingdom’s West Coast Mainline.  

Crossing new frontiers in design as part of an integrated design team

Our experts are now part of a world-class integrated design team, which marks the beginning of an exciting new phase of the work. We were appointed to this team in March 2025 and our engineers will once again work alongside the award-winning Grimshaw Architects, translating the client’s vision for this ground-breaking place into a practical reality. This will include engineering complex structures and creating pioneering mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) solutions. 

Our specialists in areas like Planning, Design, Structures, Environmental, Transport and Flooding will all continue to work on the project. This will include advising on any proposed alterations to the original planning applications and ensuring the project remains true to its ambitious social, economic and environmental targets, policies and standards. 

Meet the Visioneers

Working collaboratively as one team, we’re excited to leverage our longstanding relationships to ensure we deliver long-term benefits for the community of Morecambe and the visitors that the projects will serve.
Bringing together a world-class multidisciplinary design team is key to delivering a project of this ambition. We are committed to an integrated and collaborative approach that ensures an innovative, sustainable and regenerative design.
The development will push the boundaries of sustainability while acting as a beacon to inspire positive action for the planet. Locally, it will be transformative, and I can’t wait to get started on the detailed design and delivery of the project.

Other challenges that we have overcome