ST AUSTELL's Eden Project has been awarded a further £20-million cash injection.

Confirmed this morning, the money will go towards the construction of an education centre as well as improving facilities for visitors and staff.

Despite a fall in last year's visitor numbers, the 1.4-million people the futuristic biomes attracted still far exceeded the 700,000 first envisaged - and Eden, carved out of a redundant china clay pit, remains one of the top five tourist attractions in the UK.

The Regional Development Agency will contribute £7-million with a further £13-million from the county's Objective One coffers, taking Eden's value to an estimated £100-million-plus.

Eden is still hoping to attract outside funding for a third, desert biome, which will resemble the Arizona desert.

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