Contractor on delayed £100m Eden Project to be revealed next summer

A main contractor on a new £100m Eden Project on the Lancashire coast is to be announced by next summer, with the attraction expected to open by 2028 “subject to weather conditions”.

Eden Project Morecambe is among five new global projects proposed by the registered charity.

An Eden Project spokesperson told Construction News that procurement options were still being looked at for Morecambe, but that a main contractor would be appointed by summer 2026.

The scheme originally received planning permission over three years ago and previous reports cited a full-opening target of 2027.

Asked when construction work was likely to begin, the spokesperson said: “We expect to see significant changes to the site in 2026. The remainder of 2025 and 2026 will see further development of the design stages; 2026 will see the construction phase.”

Commenting on when the facility might open, they added: “We are working to a scheduled opening date of late 2028, which we are confident is a realistic and achievable target, subject to weather conditions not being overly adverse.”

In 2018, Eden Project first revealed its plans for a new eco attraction overlooking Morecambe Bay in the Irish Sea.

The original design by globally renowned architects Grimshaw featured four shell-like domes.

However, new designs unveiled this week showed the plans had been scaled back.

Asked why they had changed, the spokesperson noted that the design still featured “two extraordinary defining structures” and four “realms” in total across the site.

“The developed design shows how the concept has evolved into a more unified project and delivers maximum impact in the space available, utilising the full 30-metre height to create a cathedral-like space from within.”

The scheme, previously known as Eden Project North, will be a sister site to the charity’s original scheme near St Austell, Cornwall. 

Grimshaw also designed the original Eden Project, while Sir Robert McAlpine worked on the construction phase.

The charity’s other proposed new schemes are in Dundee, China, Costa Rica and Australia.

In January, it emerged that the Eden Project was planning to cut around 80 jobs – about a fifth of its payroll – due to increased costs and lower visitor numbers.