Chancellor called on to support Morecambe's Eden Project North

Coun. Geoff Driver CBE, is amongst the signatories of a letter to the Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak backing the Morecambe-based attraction and calling for the chancellor to help fund the shovel ready scheme.

The development would be a major economic catalyst in the area if it gets the go ahead, helping to create thousands of jobs through the wider supply chain as well as directly employing more than 400 people.

A full business case for £70million of funding has just been submitted to the Treasury for consideration by the Eden Project.

This comes after the county council increased its involvement in the scheme by leading on the planning, management and delivery of the business case.

As well as the county council, the internationally respected Eden Project is supported in its vision for Eden Project North by Lancaster City Council, Lancaster University and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, with representatives from all partners all signing the letter.

Geoff Driver CBE, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "Eden Project North would have huge benefits, not just for Morecambe and Lancashire, but for the North-West.

"The letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer spells out just how important this scheme could be to the locally economy, and also shows the overwhelming support of all the organisations involved.

"We believe this case shows that the project is 'shovel-ready' and deserves to be recognised through funding by central Government."

Eden Project North is projected to attract around one million visitors a year with an estimated visitor spend of more than £200m per year in the region, not including money spent at Eden Project North.