Many householders will have begun 2023 thinking about home improvements and conservatories are among the developments some will be considering.
There are many possible designs for bespoke conservatories that can be tailored to suit the shape, surroundings and needs of each household, but some folk might want to look at some grand designs to come up with something that truly stands out.
For the biggest possible bit of inspiration, many will have visited the vast greenhouses and flourishing, verdant microclimates of the Eden Project in Cornwall. Of course, the vast scale of the project will be impossible to duplicate at the back of the average suburban semi, but there will be elements of design, shape, and little quirks some may wish to emulate.
One snag, of course, is that Cornwall is a long way to go, especially for those who live in the north. For that reason, nothing could be better for northerners seeking inspiration for everything from conservatories to gardening ideas than the establishment of a northern version of the Eden project.
Just such a project is in the offing, with a £100 million scheme planned for a site on the edge of Morecambe in Lancashire. Due to open in 2026, the project has just received a huge boost in the form of a £50 million Levelling Up fund grant.
Hitherto known as Eden Project North but now Eden Project Morecambe, the scheme has therefore received the joint largest grant of any project for which an application was made, with the other two £50 million awards both being transport schemes (ironically, anyone getting down to Cornwall to see the original project may benefit from one of them, a new rail link between the county’s main towns).
The Eden Project Morecambe Website stated: “Eden Project Morecambe will be a ticketed visitor attraction that is sustainable and transformative, with large indoor environments, housed within iconic pavilions, at its heart.”
Clearly this should be a fascinating place to visit, but also one to provide lots of inspiration. Moreover, while the scheduled opening date is still three years away, the certainty of funding now in place means matters should progress fast, including more detail and updates on the various design futures from which many could draw some great ideas.
Some people have been debating the rights and wrongs of the decisions involved in awarding the Levelling Up money, with the second largest amount of any region going to the largely affluent south east, but the north west has actually done far better than any other region with nearly £355 million on the way. Householders in the north will certainly have a good reason to be glad.
Of course, there may be many other issues to consider when planning the construction of a conservatory, from other ideas and bits of inspiration drawn from other sources than the Eden Project and the technical imperatives involved in building something suited to your home. But what is for certain is that there should be no shortage of ideas, whatever end of England one lives in.