§ Lord Dubsasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for the future of the Millennium Dome after 31 December 2000. [HL4714]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonSince the withdrawal of the bid from Nomura for the Dome in September, we have received numerous unsolicited expressions of interest from parties interested in procuring the Dome, including one from PY Gerbeau. These have all been outside the terms of the competition.
Within the context of the competition, the competition team has been continuing its discussions with Legacy plc, and in the light of progress the Government has now decided to grant Legacy preferred bidder status. Legacy plc have been awarded preferred bidder status because they have confirmed that they will resolve all outstanding contractual issues within an agreed timetable. Negotiations will continue, and if all goes well we expect to exchange contracts during February. Progress will be reviewed regularly.
English Partnerships will be working closely with Legacy plc to agree a masterplan for the Dome and associated land.
In addition, English Partnerships and the London Borough of Greenwich are working together, and are in discussion with the London Development Agency, to put in place a new partnership for the next stage of the regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula, This will build on the work done so far on the development of the Peninsula, including the Dome site, the Millennium Village, and retail and commercial investments, and the emerging development framework for East Greenwich Riverside.