Plans to build a 'mini' Eden Project near J27 on the M5 near Tiverton have been given a cash boost.
£250,000 has been awarded to Project Eden to work up a detailed feasibility study around the launch of a new £200million attraction that will include a surf lake and an outlet shopping centre.
It is part of a £9.3million pot of Community Renewal Funding that will also help projects for disadvantaged and hard to reach communites, including Mid Devon Mobility and Petroc College.
The 'mini' Eden project is backed by Eden founder Sir Tim Smit, promoter Malcolm Dudley Williams with investors Friends Life, part of the Aviva Group.
In December, Mid Devon Council leader Bob Deed said it was time to "take the brakes off the development" that's delayed progress for six years.
The Local Plan allocation for the site includes approximately 71 hectares with provision for an agronomy visitor centre, 1,000 square metres of ancillary retail, an outdoor adventure zone including a surf lake, lagoon, beach, high ropes adventure area, and an outlet shopping village.
The hope is that the development will return "significant revenues" to the council, as well as providing jobs and tourism to Mid Devon.
The new round of cash will take the plans to the next stage.
A spokesperson for the Eden Project said the money will fund a feasibility study into a food-themed environmental attraction.
He said: "The study will investigate the practicality of creating an Eden attraction in this area and further develop the ideas and concept of the Eden Westwood project which has been previously proposed for the site.”
The cash is part of £9.3 million Community Renewal Funding for Devon secured after Devon County Council’s successful bid on behalf of the Team Devon partnership.
The investment will support 13 innovative projects over the next six months, including a range of employment and training, environmental and community investment across Devon through to mid-2022.
These include:
Retrofit Academy
£995,000 to support training and promote new employment opportunities across Devon around the retrofit construction sector.
Biosphere Foundation
£1.35million to take forward a mixed programme of economic and environmental development activity, building on opportunities across North Devon’s marine and rural environment to generate sustainable jobs, industries and investment.
PETROC College
£1million awarded to two programmes of activity; promoting business innovation and development through new digital technologies and additional youth and community work with a focus on those harder to reach in rural and coastal communities.
Mid Devon Mobility
£500,000 to support the development of additional community transport led employment opportunities, seeking to work with those from a harder to reach background to access jobs across transportation sector.
Devon County Council
£2.76million awarded to four projects, including grant activity to support diversification in the agricultural sector, support for the development of digital skills among harder to reach communities, a delegated grant programme to support business innovation among small businesses in Devon, and additional support to assist those with a disability to access employment.
Project Cosmic
£500,000 awarded towards a programme of business support for the social enterprise / voluntary and community sector, promoting digital innovation and building resilience.
Dartington Schools for Social Enterprise
£650,000 awarded to support individuals from harder to reach and disadvantaged backgrounds to start their own social enterprise.
YKTO
£1.05million to support micro business across the county to take up new opportunities emerging following the COVID pandemic.
In total, the £9.3m programme is expected to help 3,500 people to enter new training opportunities, support 350 businesses, and help the creation of 800 new jobs.
Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, said: “These exciting pilot projects will promote Devon’s green assets and develop the county’s natural capital, while providing support for hard hit small businesses and disadvantaged young people and adults. It will tackle deprivation and disadvantage within Devon’s most vulnerable communities, as well as support the economic growth of rural and coastal communities.”
