The new Levelling Up Secretary says that a decision on successful bids for government cash - which affect the Eden Project North in Morecambe - will now be announced by the end of 2022.
Simon Clarke, new Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, made the announcement while taking questions in Parliament on Monday.
Worried MPs who are backing various bids for Levelling Up money around the UK then pressed Mr Clarke on the delay, as decisions had been expected this autumn.
Lancaster City Council announced in August that they had put in a bid for £50m of Levelling Up money to fund the Eden Project North eco-attraction in Morecambe.
It is hoped that Eden will be one of two successful bids in the 'culture and heritage investment' category.
These awards will be for “flagship projects and must be in line with the fund’s focus on highly visible interventions that boost local pride in place”.
During a questions session in Parliament, Mr Clarke said: "I expect to announce the outcome of Round 2 by the end of this year, with funding decisions based on the framework set out in our Levelling Up fund guidance."
Ronnie Cowan, MP for Inverclyde, said: "Last week I was being told, end of November.
"Things seem to be slipping there, which does concern me."
Mr Clarke (pictured below) reiterated that "we will deliver it by the end of the year".
Richard Foord, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, reminded Mr Clarke that "Levelling Up Round 2 funding was expected by now, we are now in mid-October".
Mr Clarke said: "I need no reminder about the importance of Levelling Up, we will bring forward our answers on Round 2 by the end of this year."
He also declined to comment on specific bids while the decision process was going on.
The Secretary of State was also asked "how much and what proportion of the £4.8bn Levelling Up fund has his department allocated to local authorities since that fund was announced in October 2021."
Mr Clarke said that £1.7bn was awarded to 85 lead applicants, across 105 UK bids, in Round 1.
He said that from this amount, 1.24bn had been awarded by the Levelling Up department, with £187m paid out to date.
"We expect that figure to increase significantly," he said.
Related Story: Confirmed: £50m bid for Eden Project North funding goes in - Beyond Radio
It has been estimated that the Eden Project North (artist's impression above) would pull 740,000 visitors to Morecambe annually.
It would combine indoor and outdoor attractions, themed around Morecambe Bay, and will include plants, art and interactive exhibits, a concert area for live music events, three cafe/restaurants and a visitor centre.
Around 300 high-quality green jobs would be directly created by Eden Project North, plus more than 1,000 additional new jobs supported in the region.
The Eden team had previously said they hoped to be on site to begin work by the end of the year or early next year, should their bid be approved.
The Eden Project visitor attraction in Cornwall has transformed the region's economy since opening in 2000.
A Government contribution of £50m would form half of the projected £100m cost of building the eco-attraction on the central Promenade, with the remainder of the funds coming from private and philanthropic sources.
Partners working with the Eden Project on Eden Project North are Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and Lancaster University.
Planning permission was unanimously granted by Lancaster City Council in January.
WHAT IS LEVELLING UP?
The government said its £4.8bn Levelling Up strategy aims to "ensure all parts of the country share equally in the nation’s success".
It will pay for "investing in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centre and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets".
The first round of Levelling Up bids took place last year. The Eden Project application has gone in as part of the second round of bids, with other submissions from around the UK.
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