§ Lord Hanningfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will provide an update on the current position of the Millennium Dome, including current monthly running costs; estimated monthly running costs for the next financial year, and any recent negotiations regarding the Dome's future. [HL106]
§ Lord RookerAs indicated in my Written Statement to the House on 21 June 2004, (Official Report, col. WS41), the commercial deal between English Partnerships and the consortium of Lend Lease, Quintain Estates and Development plc and Anschutz Entertainment Group has gone unconditional. Since that time substantial progress has been made by the private sector developers on preparations for start of work both on the new arena in the Dome, and associated operations, and on the development of the new homes and allied community facilities on the wider peninsula lands, including through securing further detailed planning permissions and in working up business plans and negotiating with contractors.
Auschutz expects to start work on the new arena early next year, for it to open in 2007. Meridian Delta Limited (Lend Lease and Quintain) expect to start work on transport infrastructure works and on the Millennium Square outside the Dome, for which Greenwich Council recently resolved to grant planning permission, in 2005. Development of the first new homes will start in 2006.
As also indicated in my Statement of 21 June, English Partnerships will continue to incur costs in relation to the Dome until Anschutz completes construction of the arena. The average monthly running costs on the Dome for the six months to the end of September were £189,000; these costs comprise management, maintenance, security and English Partnerships' staff costs. English Partnerships estimates that the average monthly cost could fall to around £60,000 when the main arena contract starts in 2005.