Hotel owners and guest houses in North Cornwall are set for a boost in business similar to the unprecedented rise in fortunes near the Eden Project in the south of the county.

Eden Project co-founder and architect, Jonathan Ball, has devised a bold plan to show how the weather has shaped our planet - set against a backdrop of one of the most dramatic coastlines in the world - the North Cornwall coastline. The project is set to revive the property market in North Cornwall as well as the fortunes of local businesses.

Called The Great Atlantic Way, a multi-million pound visitor centre built on a former landfill site near Bude will ask visitors to leave their cars behind and travel on environmentally friendly transport to explore a 60-mile route stretching from Bude to Newquay.

Many were unconvinced that a massive greenhouse in the depths of Cornwall would work, but the Eden Project became one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions, bringing millions of pounds into the area. Now Mr Ball believes that the new project will similarly help people from one of the most deprived parts of the country.

Jonathan Ball said, "It could mean that the person who rents out a barn for part of the year is suddenly able to rent it out all year by connecting to The Great Atlantic Way. Those extra days can make a difference.”

Villages near the visitor centre will have their hearts re-vitalised because people who come will have money to spend said the entrepreneur.

North Cornwall District Council and the Met Office have already each invested £25,000 to develop the proposal. A scoping study, examining details of the project, is currently being carried out and should be completed in June.