EDEN PROJECT HIT BY SEVERE FLOODING
The Eden Project in Cornwall has been hit by severe flooding to the site after heavy rain hit South East Cornwall last night…
The worst-affected areas are the Link Building adjoining the two Biomes, the area around the Ice Rink where water reached up to 3ft deep, and the Visitor Centre. The venue holds the annual Eden Sessions each summer and was the setting for the hugely successful 247 Magazine promoted Rumble in the Jungle back in May.
It is the first time in Eden’s 10-year history that it has been shut due to flooding and is due to be closed for at least a week. The Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes and outdoor collection of more than a million plants are unaffected. Floodwater is being pumped out of the site near St Austell and staff are working to clean up the debris.
Chris Hastings, site safety manager for Eden, said: “Despite the fact Eden is well-engineered to deal with big volumes of rainwater, we experienced unprecedented rainfall last night and the huge deluge that came through was more than the site could deal with. “We are assessing the damage and it is worse than we originally anticipated so we are closed at the moment and will review the situation day by day.
“Our Eden team are working around the clock and we really appreciate their terrific team spirit.
“Our thoughts are with the many others in the surrounding area who are also affected by the flooding.” Visitors can get the latest updates on when Eden will reopen at www.edenproject.com
Many other areas of Cornwall have also been affected by the floods, get the latest info at www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall
