A public exhibition for Portland’s proposed ‘Eden Project’ was met with an enthusiastic response, with around 500 people attending the first session.

The proposed attraction will be set in Bower’s Quarry and Jordan’s mine, and will carry an important message about biodiversity, as well as celebrating the area’s Jurassic heritage.

According to organisers it will be markedly different from the existing Eden project – visitors will be taken on a journey into a “brilliant, surprising and utterly insane underground world”.

Rod Parsons, who lives at Officers Fields on Portland, said: “The whole idea is terrific – a museum under the cricket ground is so incredible to conceive – a lot of people have never seen Jordan’s mine underground.”

Dr and Mrs JE Aldridge-Goult from Wakeham, Portland, said: “It’s a good idea - to be able to go through the layers in Jordan’s mine and get a good view of the strata is a great opportunity.

“However, expecting 300,000 people could be terrible if we don’t get the Jurassic relief road.”

Paula Stott from Portland said: “I’m all for it, I think it will regenerate the area.

“I was in opposition to the quarry by the lighthouse but I have no problem with them opening up the mines, the proposals look beautiful.”

Pauline Smith from Portland said: “It’s a wonderful idea and will bring in jobs.

“We are concerned about traffic but organisers say they’re looking at having electric buses bringing people up from Osprey Quay via the back road.”

The project team has appointed transport management company, Systra, to advise on the proposals.

Associate David Fletcher said: “We’ve come up with solutions to reduce congestion – for example creating a park and ride transport hub at Osprey Quay.

“People won’t arrive all at once -The plan is for the attraction have a booking system to make sure arrivals and departures are staggered, as well as limiting traffic during peak times.”

Creative developers with the Eden design team Oli Broadhead and Polly Gregson were excited to share their vision.

Mr Broadhead said: “We want to take people on an insane theatre experience.

“It will be a lot of fun – we’ve got a really serious message about biodiversity but our idea isn’t to be prescriptive or scary – we want people to leave thinking, ‘I’m part of a community, this is what I can do.’”

Ms Gregson said: “It will be like exploring a lost world – we want to take people on a story to the centre of the Earth.

“The project will not only regenerate the quarry, it will also see the gardens being beautifully restored.”

Councillor Sandra West said: “Today’s event has had fabulous feedback – the project is an opportunity to bring young and older people together on an adventure.”

Alison Smith, project director said: “Next weekend we’ll be here again to give people an opportunity to talk to us.”