Eden Portland will be like ‘going down the rabbit hole into another world,’ the project director says.

Seb Brooke, Project Director of Eden Portland, gave an update on the project at Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas lunch.

The £24m project aims to transform and regenerate Albion Stone’s Jordans Mine and Bower’s Quarry to create an extraordinary subterranean visitor experience dedicated to biodiversity.

Mr Brooke said it was an 'evolution of the MEMO project' which failed after the team behind it was unable to raise the money needed.

He continued: “Either we could relocate the project and find somewhere easier to raise money, or we could rejig it on Portland and I’m thrilled to say we managed to find a way to rejig it.”

He explained how a new partnership was formed with Eden International, an off-shoot of the Eden Project, which is developing attractions in the UK and around the world. It also incorporates the Jurassica project.

Mr Brooke said: “When we first approached (Eden), they said it’s a great project, but they didn’t do anything outside of Cornwall. But they do now. They’re working with groups like us around the world to create centres to do public engagement projects to create destinations focusing on the big environmental issues of today.”

He discussed how there will be three main sites on Portland, a transport hub based at Osprey Quay, the mine itself, which is under the island’s cricket ground, and Bower’s Quarry, which is behind St George’s Church yard.

Explaining the visitor experience, he said: “It’s going to be like a theatre but you’re on your feet. You’re following it around rather than it coming to you.

“It will be like Alice in Wonderland, you’ll be going down the rabbit hole into another world. That’s how it will feel.

“We’ve got an educational mission. We’re trying to give people an experience where education happens without them knowing it. Education by stealth, so by the time you come out you will have learned something.”

He explained how the visitor experience will tell the story of evolution from the beginning of the first bacteria, nearly four billion years ago.

When discussing transport plans, Mr Brooke said: ‘The idea of the hub at Osprey Quay is to make the transport as interesting as we can.”

He added: “We all know there’s one road on and off the island, but what’s good about Osprey Quay is the boats coming in, whether they be cruise ships bringing international tourists or small boats from Weymouth. But who doesn’t like going somewhere by boat? We’re keen to develop that as far as we can.”

He added that the 501 bus service will stop at the visitor site, and there will be bike hire facilities

The project is expected to attract around 340,000 visitors a year and will create 100 year-round jobs on the site, with an additional 85 seasonal jobs.

The project's leases are expected to be signed in January 2019 with a planning application submitted by March.

Mr Brooke said that key funding decisions will be made in July 2019, and if all goes to plan it is hoped planning permission will be granted during the same month.

Eden Project is planned to open in April 2021.