The £300m Nirah project, the aquatic research centre planned for Stewartby, Bedfordshire, UK, has received a crucial loan of £200,000 from the county council.

The council’s executive committee agreed yesterday (17 October) to give Nirah the extra funding it needed to put together a planning application.

Madeline Russell, leader of Bedfordshire County Council, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to help Nirah by agreeing this further loan offer. Nirah is exactly the kind of place-making scheme that Bedfordshire needs to bring in jobs and investment.”

The future of the scheme, which would be bigger than the Eden Project in Cornwall, had been in doubt since reports emerged in June that council was not prepared to spend any more money on the development.

The council denied this at the time, saying it was awaiting legal opinion on whether or not it could give the funding Nirah required.

The project has already received £3m from the council and the East of England Development Agency. £1.1m has gone on planning application costs, £845,181 has gone on business plans and £557,953 had been spent on head office costs. Details: www.nirah.org