§ 36. Mr. StringerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact of the millennium dome on the regeneration of south-east London. [77405]
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§ Janet AndersonThe building of the Millennium Dome, and its proposed long-term retention, will have major regenerative benefits for the whole of London including the south-east, the full effects of which will become increasingly apparent over time.
Before the decision was taken to site the Millennium Dome at Greenwich, the Greenwich Peninsula was one of the largest derelict sites in the country, suffering from heavy contamination. The extensive site preparation works and infrastructure improvements required for the Millennium Experience have acted as the catalyst for a major mixed-use development project on the Peninsula, under the direction of English Partnerships. This project, including the new Millennium Village that is being built in the southern part of the site as a model for sustainable regeneration of a brownfield site, will establish the Peninsula as a vibrant new urban quarter for London, with ensuing economic, social and environmental benefits for the south-east and beyond.
On 4 March the Government launched a competition to find a long-term, sustainable and viable use for the Millennium Dome. We are sure this will bring forward a wide range of imaginative proposals and an outcome that will be of major benefit to the whole of London.