Development partner wanted to deliver Morecambe’s Frontierland plan

The hunt is on for a development partner to help transform the Frontierland site in Morecambe – a key part of the Eden project-led wider regeneration of the town.

Lancaster City Council is calling for bids from commercial leisure, hospitality and mixed-use developers or consortia to promote and develop a “comprehensive” leisure and hospitality-led development.

It says the aim is to capitalise on Eden Project Morecambe and the estimated 3,700 peak daily visitors that the major new visitor attraction will bring.

Work to transform the former Frontierland entertainment park site is scheduled to begin in December next year with an expected completion date of September 2027.

In a statement inviting developers to bid for the Frontierland project, the council said: “It is an opportunity to broaden Morecambe’s offer, help attract new visitors and convert day trippers into overnight stays.

“However, the focus is not just on visitors, and the redevelopment of the site must also benefit residents, particularly the leisure offer, and bolster the town’s tourism economy.”

The council says it anticipates that the project will create “significant” local employment opportunities, both during the construction phase and once the site is operational.

The Frontierland park closed more than 20 years ago and has been unused since. Several private sector redevelopment projects have failed to come to fruition with the council mov to buy the site in 2021.

A project board was set up in September 2023 to lead the regeneration of the site with the aim of crating a “vibrant new destination” to complement the Eden plan.

Jonathan Noad, the city council’s chief officer of sustainable growth, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to transform one of Morecambe's most iconic sites into a vibrant destination that will benefit both our residents and the growing number of visitors to the area.

“The redevelopment will play a key role in helping Morecambe thrive by boosting the local economy and improving leisure offerings for the community. We're keen to hear from developers who share our vision and can help us deliver a lasting legacy for the town."

The procurement process is now open for submissions, and the deadline for interested parties to submit their bids is January 31, 2025.

At the end of last month, the town’s MP revealed the government was weeks away from delivering the £50m needed to fully fund Eden Project Morecambe.

Lizzi Collinge, the Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, told the BBC: “£50m is in the bag and Eden Project Morecambe is going ahead.”

She said paperwork between the project partners Lancaster City Council and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would likely be signed-off in the coming weeks.