§ Mr. McNultyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect of the Millennium Dome on economic regeneration in London. [72127]
§ Mr. MealeThe building of the Millennium Dome, and its proposed long-term retention, will have major regenerative benefits for London, 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. Yet it lies only a few miles from the centre of London and close to the many historic attractions of Greenwich. 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 Greenwich 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 capital—and beyond.
Furthermore, the Government intend shortly to launch a competition to find an alternative use for the Dome after the Millennium Experience finishes. We consider that retention of this unique structure with a new use that is both suitable and sustainable can make a substantial and lasting contribution to development of the Greenwich Peninsula, and give an added impetus to the long-term regeneration of the Thames Gateway. My hon. Friend will appreciate that different types of use could have widely varying impacts, both locally and nationally. We are confident, however, that the competition will bring forward a wide range of imaginative proposals and an outcome that will be of major benefit to London.