Another bid has been submitted to the government for the re-imagining of the Eden Project right here on the North West coast.
The bid for an additional £50 million funding from the second round of the Levelling Up Fund has been submitted to the government this week after Lancaster City Council unanimously granted planning permission to build the £125 million Eden Project North – which is set to be a major attraction for Lancashire, and is part of a wider project aiming to “re-imagine Morecambe as a seaside resort for the 21st Century” – back in January, in what was said to be one of the most important planning meetings in over a decade.
Developers and the Council say the £50 million investment would be half the estimated cost of the ambitious project, and the projected 740,000 annual visitors to the site would bring in cash that would exceed the funding.
Hoping to replicate the success of Cornwall’s Eden Project, the Eden Project North will focus on marine life and seeks to transform the well-known Morecambe coastline by building a “ticketed visitor attraction” that is “sustainable and transformative”.
The plans for the new all-year visitor attraction show five shell-shaped domes built on waterfront on the site of Bubbles – a former swimming pool – and appeal to people keen on art, science, adventure, play and performance, as well as nature.
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Plenty of immersive experiences, world-class horticulture, food and drink, and retail spaces are also all expected.
An artist’s impression image of Eden Project North / Credit: Eden Project North
An environment filled with plants and art exhibits will be known as ‘Above the Bay’, while theatrical experiences will bring the tides and lunar rhythms to life in ‘Below the Bay’, and there’ll be bookable wellbeing treatments in The Natural Sanctuary, as well as the Eden Project North’s research and education programmes being housed in the ‘Natural Observatory’.
Eden Project North is expected to provide “significant economic, environmental and social benefits” for the area.
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Speaking on the submitted funding bid this weed, Cllr Caroline Jackson – Leader of Lancaster City Council – said: “Eden Project North provides an outstanding opportunity to reinvent Morecambe for the 21st century.
“Simply put, it will transform the local economy and have a transformative effect not just on Morecambe but the whole region [and] I have to thank all the Eden partners for the tireless energy and commitment they have shown as we put together this comprehensive bid.”
Eden Project North is due to open in 2024 if funding is secured / Credit: Eden Project North
Eden Project North would directly employ more than 400 people, with an additional 1,500 jobs supported in the region, and hoped to inject £200 million per year into the North West economy.
Subject to funding being secured, it is due to open in 2024.
Featured Image – Eden Project North
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Six teenage boys arrested following stabbing of 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre
Emily Sergeant
Six teenage boys have been arrested following the stabbing of a 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called out to reports of a ‘serious assault’ near the Riverside Shopping Centre in central Rochdale on Saturday (29 August), and when they arrived on the scene, they found that a 13-year-old boy had been stabbed.
The young boy currently remains in hospital receiving treatment, while a police investigation into the incident is open and ongoing.
Two teenage boys were first arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article on the same day the incident occurred (29 August), but have since been released on bail.
Officers then made four further arrests yesterday (31 August), again all teenage boys who were arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article, with enquires ongoing.
A Section 60 and 60AA ‘stop and search’ authority was introduced in Rochdale town centre following the recent incidents in area and following reports of youths carrying weapons in the locality, and this has now been extended to 3pm today (Tuesday 1 September).
“This was a serious and sustained attack that could have had far more tragic consequences,” explained Detective Superintendent, Richard Hunt .”Our team of experienced detectives is working around the clock to understand exactly what happened, identify all those involved, and secure the strongest possible evidence.
“We will relentlessly pursue every lead available to us and will leave no stone unturned in bringing all those responsible before the courts.
“Community safety remains our absolute priority, and we are committed to ensuring those who seek to bring violence onto our streets are held fully accountable for their actions.”
Can you help? Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the town centre at the time, or has any mobile phone, CCTV, or dashcam footage, is urged to come forward and speak to police on 101, quoting log 2750 of 29/08/2026, or using the LiveChat function on the GMP website.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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High School Musical at Lowry, Salford – a night spent reliving our childhood | Review
Amy Williams
What a night spent reliving our childhood.
Now, I don’t want to exaggerate or seem biased, considering this is one of my favourite film trilogies of all time, but this could be the best stage show I’ve seen in a long while.
We all know how High School Musical goes, right? Set at East High, we follow Troy and Gabriella (the star basketball player, and the geeky new girl) who meet over New Year, and then become ‘star-crossed lovers’ when back at school as they’re part of two different ‘cliques’.
The duo mess with the ‘Status Quo’ when they audition for the school musical. But will they stick to what they know? Or become stars of the stage? I’m sure you know the ending.
High School Musical is currently on stage at Lowry, Salford / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
From the costumes and the characters, to the memorable songs (there’s actually 52 songs in this production, including a mega mix at the end), they’ve kept right to the script of the films – and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.
Of course, the biggest throwback of them all is Kaycee Stroh – who originally featured as Martha Cox in the film trilogy – taking the role as Ms Darbus, and she was just as incredible as we expected her to be. And to see her do the iconic dance in the finale was unbelievable, 13-year-old Amy was screaming.
Also featuring Jason Donovan as Coach Bolton, Tobias Turley as Troy, Leonor Correia as Gabriella, Caitlin Tipping Sharpay, and Luke Bayer as Ryan, it was a proper impressive cast all round.
It’s a night to properly relive your mid-00s childhood / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
There was crowd interaction right from the off, as they taught the crowd a cheerleading routine to be included later in the show, plus for the finale, they had the lyrics on the big screen too so everyone could sing-along.
If we could go and see this show every single night, we would – it is absolutely brilliant.
Emily Sergeant -
5th August 2022 
